Your instructor may ask you to submit your assignments into the Penn State Turnitin account. If so, you will need a Turnitin class ID and password from your instructor to enroll in the class and submit the assignment.

Note: These instructions were written in September 2012. Some minor interface issues may be found from this version of the documentation.

Supported Browsers

For best results, please use a Turnitin-recommended browser. If your personal system does not work with Turnitin, then you may want to either use a Penn State CLC Student lab machine, download a newer version of a browser (e.g. Firefox or Google Chrome) or e-mail your instructor for more instructions.

Enroll in a Turnitin Class

Register with Turnitin

The first time you use Turnitin at Penn State, you will have to register your Penn State e-mail address to create an account.

  1. Make sure you have received a Turnitin class ID and password from your instructor.
  2. Log in to http://turnitin.psu.edu with your Penn State Access Account and ID.
    Note: If you see an account set up screen, set your e-mail to your official Penn State User ID + “@psu.edu” and enter a random word for a password.

Enroll in a Class

  1. Log in to http://turnitin.psu.edu with your Penn State Access Account and ID.
  2. When you arrive at your Turnitin account Home page, click the tab for Enroll in a Class.
  3. In the enrollment screen, enter the class/section ID number and enrollment password from your instructor. You will be enrolled in the class.

Upload Paper into an Assignment

  1. Log in to http://turnitin.psu.edu with your Penn State Access Account and ID.
  2. Click the link corresponding for the appropriate class.
  3. For the assignment due, click the Submit button.
  4. In the upload screen select either Single file upload or Cut and paste upload option.
  5. Complete the rest of the form and click Submit.
  6. Click the Confirm button to complete the submission.
    Note: You should receive a receipt with a Submission ID number. The submission receipt will also be emailed. Please keep track of the receipt in case you have an issue with a submission.

Copyright and Privacy of Submissions

Students who are asked to submit papers to Turnitin should be aware of the following:

  • Students retain copyright of all submissions
  • Primary access to the contents of your submissions is restricted to your instructor and select Turnitin support staff. No other individuals are authorized to view contents of a Turnitin course.

Students can request that submissions be removed after an assignment is complete and graded. Requests are normally sent to the IT Service Desk through your instructor for processing.

Accepted File Types

Turnitin upload supports the following document types:

  • Microsoft Word (.doc /.docx only and macros are stripped)
  • PowerPoint (.ppt/.pptx converted to PDF)
  • PDF (except image scans)
  • HTML (properly formatted)
  • Rich text format (.rtf)
  • Plain text (.txt)
  • OpenOffice (.odt)
  • WordPerfect (.wpd)
  • PostScript (.ps/.eps)
  • GoogleDrive or Dropbox
  • Hangul Word Processor file (.hwp)

Error in Paper Upload?

If you encounter an error when uploading a paper or upload the wrong document, please contact your instructor immediately. Your instructor has options to delete a paper and allow you to re-upload it.

You can also contact the Turnitin Help Desk directly 510-764-7600 x3 to receive help. They will likely ask for your instructor name, instructor Penn State email, Turnitin course number and submission ID from the receipt.

The Penn State IT Service Desk does not currently have tools to debug student paper uploads at this time.

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