Frequently Asked Question

After you submit an assignment that uses Turnitin, Canvas shows a similarity score (sometimes called an originality score) once Turnitin finishes checking your work. The score is a percentage showing how much of your submission matches other sources. Here's how to find and open your report.

1. Go to https://jerseycollege.instructure.com/login/ldap and sign in with your Jersey College username (firstname.lastname) and password.

1. Open your course, click Assignments, and select the assignment you submitted.

1. Look at the submission details on the right side of the screen for the similarity score. It appears as a colored box with a percentage (for example, 18%). If you see a gray icon or no percentage yet, Turnitin is still processing - check back in a few minutes.

1. Click the similarity score (the percentage or colored box) to open the full Turnitin report.

1. In the report you'll see your paper with matched text highlighted and a list of the sources those matches came from. Click any match to see where it came from.

Important things to understand:

• A similarity score is NOT the same as a plagiarism score. It only measures how much of your text matches other sources. A match can be completely legitimate - a properly quoted and cited passage, a reference list, or common phrases will all still show as "similar."

• There is no single "good" or "bad" number. Every instructor and assignment is different.

• Ask your instructor how they want the similarity report used and what they expect. They decide what the score means for your grade, so their guidance is what matters.

Tips:

• If you don't see a score at all, make sure the assignment actually uses Turnitin and that your submission went through (you should see a "Submitted" status and your file name).

• The report can take a few minutes to generate after you submit, especially close to a deadline when many students submit at once.

If you're still having trouble, contact the Jersey College Help Desk at 201-645-1164 or itsupport@jerseycollege.edu.