Academic integrity you can trust, directly inside your courses
Turnitin is the gold standard for plagiarism detection in higher education. We integrate it into your Open edX platform so that every assignment submission is automatically checked for originality, with similarity reports delivered right where your instructors already work.
Why Turnitin?
The plagiarism detection engine behind 16,000+ institutions worldwide
Turnitin is the world's leading plagiarism detection platform, trusted by over 16,000 institutions globally. It checks every submission against billions of sources and delivers clear similarity reports - helping protect your institution's credibility and accreditation standards.
Learn moreAcademic integrity
Keep your courses honest by catching copied work before it's graded.
Course assessment
Give instructors clear insights into originality across every assignment.
Research integrity
Ensure published work meets the highest standards of authenticity and trust.
Key Capabilities
What Turnitin brings to your Open edX platform
Similarity Reports
Every submission is compared against a vast database of academic content, web pages, and student papers. The resulting report highlights matched passages with source links so instructors can make informed decisions.
AI Writing Detection
Opt-in AI writing detection flags text likely generated by large language models. A valuable tool as institutions establish policies around generative AI use in academic work.
Auto-Submission
When a learner submits an assignment in Open edX, the file is sent to Turnitin automatically. No extra steps for instructors or learners. Reports appear within minutes.
In-LMS Reports
Similarity reports are accessible directly inside the Open edX grading interface. Instructors review originality scores alongside their standard grading workflow.
EU Data Agreement
Our deployment operates under an EU-jurisdiction Data Processing Agreement. Student submissions are processed in accordance with GDPR requirements.
Accreditation Support
For programmes that need to demonstrate academic integrity measures for accreditation bodies, Turnitin provides the documentation trail and institutional reporting that auditors expect.
How the Integration Works
From submission to similarity report in minutes
01
Assignment Upload
A learner submits their assignment through the standard Open edX submission interface. The file is automatically forwarded to Turnitin for analysis.
02
Originality Check
Turnitin scans the submission against its database of billions of sources, including academic journals, web content, and past submissions from other institutions.
03
Report Delivery
Within minutes, a detailed similarity report appears inside Open edX. The instructor can review matched sources, view the AI writing indicator, and factor the results into grading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Turnitin and Open edX
Yes. Turnitin is a commercial service that requires its own institutional licence. Abstract Technology handles the technical integration with your Open edX platform, and you contract directly with Turnitin for the service itself.
This is configurable. Institutions can choose to show similarity reports to learners before final submission (encouraging them to improve citations) or restrict access to instructors only.
Turnitin reports a confidence score for AI-generated content. Like all AI detection tools, it is a signal to inform instructor judgment rather than an automated verdict. We recommend using it as part of a broader academic integrity policy.
Our deployment includes an EU-jurisdiction Data Processing Agreement with Turnitin. Submission data is processed in compliance with GDPR. Specifics of data residency depend on your Turnitin contract terms.