Turnitin's Web-based originality checker compares student-submitted papers against an extensive database of online content and student work. The program highlights text found to match previously published or submitted work and provides an originality report based on the ratio of "original," or unmatched, text and "unoriginal" text. Both students and instructors have access to these originality reports.
Turnitin not only helps instructors spot and address potential plagiarism in student papers, but can help students ensure proper citation in reports and essays. According to Aileen Gum, San Diego City College English professor, "Students can quickly see at a glance if their papers aren't properly cited or if they don't have a reasonable balance of source material and their own writing."
Turnitin does not fully automate the plagiarism detection process. The program cannot distinguish between properly cited and plagiarized text in student submissions. Instead, Turnitin counts both as unoriginal. This lowers students' official originality scores and makes individual evaluation of highlighted text necessary.