Turnitin will currently accept the following file types:
- Microsoft Word® (.doc/.docx)
- OpenOffice Text (.odt) (except if created in google docs)
- WordPerfect® (.wpd)
- PostScript (.ps)
- HTML
- Hangul Word Processor file (.hwp)
- Rich text format (.rtf)
- Plain text (.txt)
- Adobe® PDF – Turnitin will not accept PDF image files, forms, or portfolios, files that do not contain highlightable text (e.g. a scanned image file), documents containing multiple files or files created with software other than Adobe Acrobat®.
- Microsoft PowerPoint® (.pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, and .pps) – Turnitin will convert the file into static PDF, leaving all text and images in their original format but leaving out features such as presenter notes, embedded video, and animations. Text with visual effects is not supported, and it is recommended that any visual effects such as shadows and 3D be removed before submission.
- Microsoft Excel® (.xls and .xlsx)
Your paper must contain a minimum of 20 words, must be under 50MB, less than 800 pages in length, and must not contain spaces in between every letter (l i k e t h i s). Remove punctuations in the file name and keep it under 40 characters
File types not accepted by Turnitin
- Password protected files – Do NOT set a password for any submissions.
- Microsoft® Works (.wps) files
- Microsoft Word 2007 macros-enabled .docm files
- OpenOffice Text (.odt) files created via Google Docs online -OpenOffice documents (.odt files) are not checked for similarity and may return an M14 error if created and downloaded in Google Docs online. The same applies for OpenOffice presentations (.odp files) and spreadsheets created outside of Microsoft Excel (i.e. .ods). Turnitin also will not accept documents (.doc) or presentations (.ppt) files created using OpenOffice as these are not 100% Microsoft equivalent.Please use your student version of Office 365 instead. See the IT helpdesk pages on the student portal for information.
- Document (.doc) files created using OpenOffice
- Apple Pages – your lecturer will not be able to read the file You must export the file as a Word format document.
- Spreadsheets created outside of Microsoft Excel (i.e. .ods)
- Text with visual effects
- Zip files
- Google docs – even though you may appear to successfully upload a document saved as a .gdoc file type to a Turnitin assignment, your lecturer will not be able to open the file to provide feedback and grade your work. This is because the .gdoc file contains a web link to a document created and saved in Google Drive rather than the actual document itself. This guide explains how to submit files from Google Drive.
Converting an unsupported file
If your file is saved as an unsupported format you will need to use a word processing program to save the file as one of the accepted types. Rich Text Format and Plain Text file types are nearly universally available in word processing software. Neither file type will support images or non-text data within the file and formatting options will be limited.
When converting a file to a new file format, users should rename their file with a name other than that of the original file. This is suggested to prevent permanent loss of the original formatting or image content of a file due to it being overwritten.
Submitting Documents Containing Images and Tables
Turnitin recommends that if you are submitting files that contain images and tables, it is best to submit these as PDF documents rather than MS word/PowerPoint files. This will ensure that the document retains its original formatting.
To save a Word or Powerpoint file as a pdf:
File > Save as > Save as Type > PDF
**Always check the file before and after you upload it to ensure that the desired formatting has been retained. We recommend saving a new version of the file when you convert it to prevent loss of the original formatting or images.
Can I submit a PDF made in Photoshop or Publisher?
No. Turnitin cannot read these file types. This post explains how to resolve this error.
