iThenticate FAQs for UNSW researchers
To suggest changes or additions to this FAQ contact: researchtraining@unsw.edu.au
What is iThenticate?
iThenticate is a plagiarism detection software tool that is designed to be used by researchers and Higher Degree Research supervisors to ensure the originality of written work before publication.
How is iThenticate different from Turnitin?
Turnitin and iThenticate are designed for different categories of users.
Turnitin is coursework management software tool that requires administrators/teachers to set up classes and assignments.
iThenticate is designed for research outputs, and is based on folders and documents that are managed by individual account holders.
What databases does iThenticate check against?
iThenticate checks against multiple databases.
CrossCheck
An initiative of the publisher association CrossRef, CrossCheck is a database populated with content (journal articles, conference proceedings and books) provided by publishers (365+ leading scientific, technical and medical (STM) publishers). As of 2013, 65% of CrossRef publishers participate in CrossCheck, representing most large scholarly publishers. An increasing percentage of scholarly journals is using iThenticate to check manuscripts submitted for publication.
Internet archive
iParadigms’s proprietary Internet crawler is archived back nearly a decade.
Aggregators, databases, content providers
Over 90 million online and offline subscription content and research titles from leading aggregators, databases and content providers, including: ABC-CLIO, Cengage Learning, EBSCOhost, Emerald Journals, Gale InfoTrac, One File, Pearson, McGraw-Hill, Wiley, PubMed/Medline, SAGE Reference.
PQDT
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) is a research database that includes theses and dissertations from more than 1,000 North American and European graduate schools.
Who can use iThenticate?
UNSW has purchased a site license for use by UNSW authors to check research writing of all types, including articles and book chapters to be submitted for publication, grant proposals, theses and dissertations.
How do I gain access & assistance?
Access: If you have already used iThenticate, you will have an account. Click here to log in to your iThenticate account.
New users can gain access to iThenticate by contacting UNSW IT Service Centre (itservicecentre@unsw.edu.au). You will need to provide their UNSW zID. Once the request has been approved you will receive an automatic email from iThenticate confirming access details and login information.
Note: If you are a HDR candidate or are requesting access for your HDR studies then access will only be provided to your HDR supervisor, we therefore request that you please seek access through your supervisor.
Any problems regarding login & technical support contact: UNSW IT Service Centre :itservicecentre@unsw.edu.au
Who might benefit from using iThenticate?
iThenticate assists researchers and HDR supervisors in undertaking similarity checks and detection of plagiarised material in traditional research outputs including draft manuscripts, draft theses, and published research prior to publication and/or HDR examination.
When used in the context of Higher Degree Research, tools for detection of plagiarism such as iThenticate should be used collaboratively between candidate and supervisor as a supervisor guided learning process.
Can iThenticate be used to check someone else’s work?
No, iThenticate is provided for UNSW researchers to check work that they themselves have authored or co-authored, and to assist HDR supervisors in reviewing their candidate's written work.
Can iThenticate be used to check coursework ?
No, academic and teaching staff wishing to ensure that assignments submitted by their students have not been plagiarised should use Turnitin. Ideally it is best to incorporate Turnitin into their course structure.
For information and guidance to support graduates in understanding plagiarism and academic integrity visit the Learning Centre's website: Academic Integrity and Plagiarism.
Can iThenticate be used to check a co-authored work?
Yes, iThenticate can be used to check works that you have co-authored. The resulting reports can be shared among co-authors.
Who has access to the report and can it be shared among colleagues and collaborators?
Your iThenticate account and reports are accessible only to you. You may share your reports with co-authors via email, printout, or download or by giving another iThenticate user access to your folder.
Can UNSW Faculty members use our iThenticate license to check manuscripts that they are reviewing?
No, iThenticate is intended for use by authors to check their own work, and HDR supervisors to assist them in reviewing their candidates' written work.
Many academic publishers use iThenticate to check manuscripts prior to considering them for publication.
Can a Higher Degree Research candidate (e.g. Masters and PhD) request an iThenticate account
No, iThenticate is a tool for researchers and is not available to HDR candidates. It is recommended that candidates submit their written work regularly to their supervisor to utilise iThenticate to guide the candidate through the learning process and discuss any issues with the candidate and counsel on avenues for further academic writing support.
Can an undergraduate student request an iThenticate account?
No, iThenticate is a tool for researchers and is not available to undergraduate students.
Is a document submitted to iThenticate retained by iParadigm and used in the iThenticate or Turnitin comparison database?
No, iThenticate does not add your manuscript to any databases. However, your submissions are archived privately until you delete them.
Is an iThenticate account holder charged a fee for document checking?
No, the University has purchased a site license for use by members of the UNSW community.
What file types are recognised?
MS Word, Word XML, WordPerfect, PostScript, PDF, HTML, RTF, OpenOffice (ODT) and plain text.
Can various versions of a document be submitted to iThenticate over time?