Turnitin allows an instructor from another university or institution to make a paper view request, where an email, including a brief recap of the assignment in question (title, submission date, and class title) as it was originally submitted is sent. Also included in the email is basic information about the matching paper, such as the instructor’s name who has made the request and the similarity percentage it has matched with. A full plain-text version of the original paper, as it was submitted to your class, is included in your received email.

Example

Here is an example of a paper view request:

Instructions for Turnitin contacts

As the turnitin contact it is important that you are aware of the data protection of students work for requests received within and outside of Queen Mary as stated in the Turnitin Policy.

For requests originating from QMUL, please follow these steps:

1. Delete the student’s name or any other identifying information from the work.
2. Forward the Turnitin email to the email address indicated.

For requests from outside of QMUL, please follow these steps:

1. Send the requester an email to confirm that the paper is only required to help investigate a case of potential plagiarism at their institution; and that the paper will be destroyed once the investigation is complete. Please use the sample email below.
2. Delete the student’s name or any other identifying information from the work.
3. Forward the Turnitin email to the email address indicated.

Note: While Turnitin encourages instructors to collaborate and work together with paper view requests you are under no obligation to respond.

Sample email

Subject: Request for student work via Turnitin

Dear <Name>,

We have received a request from Turnitin for a copy of student work submitted to Queen Mary University of London.  I understand that a match has been found between this and a paper submitted to your institution.

QMUL’s Turnitin policy requires an assurance from you that:

1. The paper is only required to help investigate a case of potential plagiarism at your institution; and that
2. The paper will be destroyed once the investigation is complete.

Please can you confirm the above and I will happily forward an anonymised copy of our student’s work to you.

Many Thanks,

<Your Name>