Turnitin

Icelandic universities and several colleges have used the software Turnitin since 2012. A contract is currently in place for all colleges and universities, which is valid until the end of 2025. The National Library of Iceland – University Library is overseeing the project and handling the contract negotiations.

The National Library of Iceland-University Library is overseeing the project. The project manager is Hilma Gunnarsdóttir, information scientist hilma.gunnarsdottir@landsbokasafn.is and technical supervision is in the hands of Sigurbjörg Jóhannesdóttir sigurbjorg@hi.is , project manager at the University of Iceland's School of Education.

What is Turnitin?

Turnitin is a software that offers a variety of teaching aids – including special anti-plagiarism features. Teachers can use the program to check the originality of texts and the correct use of sources in the assignments submitted by students. Turnitin compares the text of submitted assignments with a large collection of sources stored there, including numerous articles from foreign databases, text from websites and student theses – both Icelandic and foreign, for example, those that have been submitted to Skemmuna – the digital archive of Icelandic universities. After this comparison, Turnitin publishes a report (originality report) that explains the correspondence between the submitted assignment and the texts stored in the database. Even if the Turnitin result shows a correspondence, it does not necessarily mean that plagiarism has occurred. It is up to the teacher to interpret reports from Turnitin and decide whether the handling of sources is adequate.

Teachers can also use the program's capabilities to guide students in a visual way, comment on assignments, and provide constructive criticism. Here is a video produced by Turnitin that demonstrates the software's capabilities.

Integrity and academic ethics

Plagiarism is a problem in the academic world, and most universities have taken steps to prevent plagiarism and have developed policies on how to deal with such issues. The implementation of Turnitin in Iceland is part of the measures to prevent plagiarism.

Useful links:

Turnitin: Ten Types of Plagiarism

Science Web: What is plagiarism?