Turnitin is one of the most trusted plagiarism detection tools in the world. It’s used by schools, colleges, and universities to check originality in essays, reports, research papers, and dissertations. If you’re a student, teacher, or researcher and want to use Turnitin, here’s how to get started.
1. Through Your School or University
The most common way to get Turnitin access is through your educational institution.
- Many universities and colleges already have Turnitin accounts.
- Professors create a class ID and an enrollment key that students use to submit assignments.
- Once enrolled, you’ll see your assignments in Turnitin, upload your paper, and receive a Similarity Report.
Tip: If you’re unsure, ask your professor or your school’s IT/academic support team if your institution subscribes to Turnitin.
2. Instructor Accounts
If you’re a teacher, lecturer, or researcher, you can request an instructor account from your institution’s Turnitin administrator.
- This allows you to set up classes and assignments.
- You can also enable Quick Submit, which lets you check documents directly without creating a class.
3. iThenticate for Researchers
For researchers and academics who need to check theses, dissertations, or journal articles, Turnitin’s sister product, iThenticate, is often the right choice.
- iThenticate is designed for research publishing.
- Many universities provide iThenticate access for graduate students and faculty.
- If you’re submitting to an academic journal, the publisher may also run your paper through iThenticate.
4. No Direct Student Purchase
It’s important to note:
- Turnitin is not sold directly to students.
- You can’t just go to Turnitin.com and buy an individual license.
- Instead, access is always provided through an institution, instructor, or journal publisher.
5. Alternatives for Personal Use
If your school doesn’t provide Turnitin, you can still use Turnitin alternatives for personal plagiarism checks. Some popular options are:
- Grammarly Premium
- QuillBot Plagiarism Checker
- Scribbr Plagiarism Checker
- Copyscape
While not identical to Turnitin, they are good for personal proofreading and originality checking.
In short
The easiest way to get Turnitin is through your school, college, or university. Students need a class ID and enrollment key from their instructors, while researchers may use iThenticate for academic work.
If you don’t have institutional access, you’ll need to use an alternative plagiarism checker for personal use—but for official submissions, Turnitin access must come from an educational or research institution.
