As part of our commitment to foster a culture of research integrity, we encourage our faculty mentors to check the originality of the work produced by their graduate students. To aid in this effort, currently we are using Turnitin, which is a web-based tool that checks for originality in a written work. As part of the Request for Oral Defense to do items, a Turnitin report is required. We encourage major professors to include a similarity report and go over the results with the student and entire committee. Please refer to the instructions listed on the Preliminary Approval of Dissertation/Thesis and Request for Oral Defense forms, https://gradschool.fiu.edu/students/#studentforms.

We encourage students’ major professors to run a similarity report; otherwise, we will contact them and their student (s) so we can run the report on their behalf. It is important to run this Turnitin Report as it might also be needed for the graduate program directors and college deans, prior to approving the Request for Oral Defense. As indicated, if not submitted with the online Request for Oral Defense, the UGS will run it on behalf.

Be advised that besides the similarity report, by signing on the Request for Oral Defense, faculty do attest that the students’ work is original.

For assistance with Turnitin, please click here http://ecampus.fiu.edu/faculty-turnitin-plagiarism-framework.html.