Submitting a Turnitin paper - Student Guide

Your tutor may tell you which type of file they expect you to submit, however for typical essay and report type assignments we recommend submitting as PDF. 

The file size limit per assignment is 100MB (2MB for plain text files), and no greater than 800 pages in length. If your file is larger than this, you'll likely need to compress or remove images to submit. See the guide on Reducing Files

Check the file type -  In general, PDF is recommended.

Turnitin will not accept PDF files that do not contain highlightable text (e.g. a scanned file – usually an image) or documents containing multiple files. PDFs created using Adobe Acrobat® are officially supported. Web-based PDF creators should be avoided.

Turnitin will also accept the following file types (though if you have not been told to submit any particular format the best choice is PDF):

Do not use any of the following characters in your filename:

& , . ( ) % # ‘ “ / \ - { } [ ] < > : ; @

Find your Turnitin assignment (your tutor should tell you where it is). 

Select the assignment link. 

The Turnitin assignment area will open.

Click the question mark icon to see assignment details including the due date and any instructions.  

Other assignment details can be seen under Additional Settings 

When you are ready to submit, select Upload Submission

The submission area will now open. You can submit an assignment by choosing the file to upload from your computer, selecting Cloud submission (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive ) or cutting & pasting your text. Always ensure your file has successfully saved on your computer by saving and then closing the file before attempting to upload it.  

Pay Attention while Submitting 

The submission area will open by default for file upload submissions. 

Select the Upload Submission option if not already selected. It isn't possible to upload multiple files or use multiple submission options. 

Add a submission title for the paper, and make sure you follow any instructions provided by your department 

If you are unsure if your file type is accepted, check the list provided earlier in this guide   

You have these options for uploading files: A file on your computer or upload from your personal Dropbox or Google Drive or your University OneDrive: 

• Click Choose File to browse your computer, to locate and open the file you wish to upload 
• For files on your personal Dropbox, sign into your Dropbox account if asked, then select the file you wish to upload and click 'Choose' 
• For files on your personal google Drive, sign into your Google drive account if asked, then select the file you wish to upload and click 'Select' 
• For files on your University OneDrive, sign into your OneDrive account if asked, then select the file you wish to upload and click ‘Open’ 

Click upload and review 

You will be presented with a formatted version of your paper and will be asked to confirm the submission. 

Check it is the correct submission.

Click Submit to Turnitin.

Wait until submission is confirmed - you must wait until you see the words ‘Submission Complete!’ and a green tick. 

The window will close automatically and you can view the details of your submission.  

Make sure you download your digital receipt. This is proof of your submission. Click the download digital receipt icon 

Or alternatively, the prompt in the interface: 

Once this has downloaded, open the digital receipt to see your submission id. Save a copy of your receipt in case you need it later (e.g. to your OneDrive account). This is the only acceptable proof of submission. 

You have not finished until you see a confirmation of a successful submission on your screen and you save your Turnitin receipt with your submission ID.