SafeAssign vs Turnitin: Does Turnitin Check SafeAssign?
Are you wondering if Turnitin checks SafeAssign or vice versa? If you have a paper uploaded through one, you might be wondering if it will be flagged by the other. Therefore, comparing SafeAssign vs. Turnitin is important so that one can know which is safer and more accurate.
That is a debate, and let’s delve into it. But if you can purchase essays online from us, be sure that they are clean, and do not worry. Let us look into this debate
Both SafeAssign and Turnitin are plagiarism-checking tools that are designed to detect any overlaps between papers that have been submitted and other existing works from other sources. This means that SafeAssign and Turnitin databases from which they compare submitted papers.
However, even though they perform similar functions in most of cases, there are some distinguishing factors between the two. The following sections explore this in detail.
Does Turnitin check SafeAssign?
As we have noted, both Turnitin and SafeAssign have different databases that are used to compare the submitted papers for any overlaps. Those databases are not connected in any way.
This can be attributed to the fact that SafeAssign and Turnitin are different companies that offer similar services to similar clients.
Turnitin does not check SafeAssign because the two do not share a database. While Turnitin retains the papers that have been submitted through it by adding them to its database, SafeAssign does not do this automatically.
Therefore, the two do not use the same database, meaning you can upload a paper in one, and it will not be detected by the other.
What SafeAssign does is give the students an option to “donate” their papers to the database (Blackboard client institutions) so that they can help increase the resources used by the tool to detect plagiarism.
The reason for mentioning this is to demonstrate how different the two plagiarism-checking tools are. They utilize different approaches when it comes to creating and maintaining their databases.
Because both tools are owned by different companies while delivering the same services to similar clients, SafeAssign has restricted its database, and Turnitin cannot access it.
However, there are some cases where papers from SafeAssign can be leaked or released to the public internet, and it is in such a scenario that Turnitin can detect it. However, Turnitin does not check SafeAssign.
Does SafeAssign Check Turnitin?
This question is similar to the previous question that inquires whether Turnitin checks SafeAssign. The point we should note is that the two are owned by different companies with different databases.
SafeAssign does not check Turnitin because each store scanned papers in different databases. They also do not share a database unless when they scan papers stored in the Global Reference Databases.
SafeAssign’s database includes institutional document archives containing all the papers that students from various institutions have previously submitted.
The Global Reference Database contains more than 15 million papers that have been donated by users from Blackboard’s client institutions.
The others include the internet and ProQuest ABI/Inform database, with nearly 2.6 million articles dating back to the 1990s and thousands of publication titles updated every week.
On the other hand, Turnitin’s database is made up of student papers that have been previously submitted through it, the current and archived web, and content partnerships from leading publishers.
That also includes library databases, publications based on subscription, digital reference collections, publishers of textbooks, books, and sites dedicated to helping students to complete their homework.
By comparing Turnitin’s database to that of SafeAssign, it is evident that there is no connection between the two.
Even though they may share some material sources, SafeAssign cannot check Turnitin because its database is not part of SafeAssign’s database. Therefore, SafeAssign cannot check Turnitin, and Turnitin cannot check SafeAssign.
Comparing Turnitin vs. SafeAssign
| Feature | SafeAssign | Turnitin | Comments |
| Fee | The fee is included within SafeAssign’s Blackboard annual cost. | Turnitin has a standard annual fee depending on the subscription and the type of account, for example, student or tutor accounts. | Both require a subscription fee by users. However, Turnitin is more pocket-friendly compared to SafeAssign. |
| Support of multiple drafts | Here, Turnitin can store the drafts even though it does not compare the subsequent to the original draft. This is an added advantage to Turnitin and a disadvantage to SafeAssign because a student may lose their work due to technical issues from their end. | In SafeAssign, both audio, video, and mash-ups can be directly inserted or embedded into the feedback section. It is also possible to embed recordings from the webcam. | Yes. Turnitin also supports this function. For papers that have been previously submitted, the instructor sets up a “revision assignment.” Those assignments are stored within its database. However, the subsequent drafts are not compared to the original draft. |
| Drawing tools | SafeAssign supports this function. | Turnitin does not support this function. | Here, SafeAssign has an added advantage over Turnitin. |
| Creative and rich feedback | In Turnitin, the feedback is mainly done through text. On the other hand, only audio files that do not exceed three minutes can be attached. | Tools to create private notes that a student cannot see | In this case, SafeAssign provides better feedback than Turnitin. |
| SafeAssign does not restrict users, both students and instructors, when it comes to this feature. | It is possible to do so in SafeAssign. | This function is not included within Turnitin. | Private notes can be a very important communicative function among instructors. This is an added advantage to SafeAssign. |
| Rubrics | SafeAssign supports this function. | Here, SafeAssign gives both instructors and students control over this function. This is an advantage over Turnitin, which only grants this power to instructors. | Turnitin also supports this function. However, the instructor has to manually attach the rubrics so users can view them before submitting their work. |
| Spellchecker | SafeAssign supports this function or feature. | Turnitin does not support this function. | This is a very important feature when it comes to written works. Users can make spelling errors. A tool that is capable of spellchecking has an added advantage. |
| Power to add students’ papers to the database | In SafeAssign, the file types that are accepted include DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, PDF, HTM, HTML, and ODT. | In Turnitin, only the instructor has control over this feature. Instructors can add students’ papers to Turnitin’s cross-institutional database. | In SafeAssign, both instructors and students have control over this feature. Students can determine whether their papers can be added to the cross-institutional Global Reference Database or not. On the other hand, instructors can control whether students’ papers are added to the databases of their respective institutions. |
| Multiple submissions of a similar assignment. | SafeAssign supports this function. However, instructors must clear the previous submissions. | Turnitin also supports this function. Students can submit multiple times with different originality reports. | Turnitin supports this feature more than SafeAssign. |
| Online marking through computers | Yes. This feature is supported. | Yes. This feature is also supported. | Both tools fully support this feature. |
| Maximum file size which is acceptable during submission | 10MB maximum in SafeAssign. | 20MB maximum in Turnitin. | It is evident that Turnitin accepts a larger file size compared to SafeAssign. This can be useful when a user submits a file containing photographs and other embedded content. |
| File types accepted during submission | In SafeAssign, the file types that are accepted include: DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, PDF, HTM, HTML, and ODT. | In Turnitin, the file types that are accepted include; DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, PDF, HTM, HTML, PPT, PS, PPTX, and WordPerfect. | It is evident that Turnitin supports more formats during submission. This can be practical for users because they will not be forced to convert their files to the supported types before submission. This is an added advantage to Turnitin. |
| Time taken | A few minutes. | A few minutes. | Both provide originality reports within a few minutes. However, it may take longer when more students are submitting their work at the same time (exam period). |
| Database used | Global Reference Database, ProQuest ABI/Inform database, institutional document archives, and the internet. | Content partnerships, student papers, the current and archived web. | Here, SafeAssign has a larger database. However, Turnitin has an added advantage because it stores the submitted papers that account for most of the plagiarism cases among students. |
| Accuracy | Very accurate (90% – 95%). | Very accurate (90% – 97%) | Turnitin is more accurate. |
| Similarity report colors | More than 30 different colors to highlight different sources. | Blue, green, yellow, orange, red. | SafeAssign has more colors. However, Turnitin’s fewer colors make it easier to understand. |
Are SafeAssign and Turnitin Linked?
No. SafeAssign and Turnitin are not linked. As noted earlier, they are owned by different companies with different databases. SafeAssign cannot access information from Turnitin’s database and vice versa.
The only way SafeAssign or Turnitin can access similar information is through the database accessed through public internet sources such as websites. However, they seem different, but their functionality is really the same.
In a comparative study between the two, it was found that both are viable solutions to plagiarism. The study concluded that none of these two can be termed as superior.
Though this is the case, they are not linked in any way. Unless the two strikes a partnership to improve the effectiveness of plagiarism detection, they will remain different.
Which is stricter, SafeAssign or Turnitin?
Both SafeAssign and Turnitin perform the same function of preventing plagiarism and ensuring academic honesty and integrity. Both have large databases that are used to compare submitted papers with.
However, while SafeAssign does not automatically store students’ papers in its database, Turnitin does. While all professors use Turnitin or SafeAssign, they have different ways of treating the files because they are stored differently.
This is because academic cheating among students is mostly achieved when students copy other students’ previously submitted works.
Therefore, Turnitin is stricter by comparing submitted papers with students’ papers. If you have a paper that you are doubting, we advise that you check its plagiarism before submitting it. This will help you know the score before uploading it to the strict scanning system.
Conclusion
From the comparison of SafeAssign and Turnitin, it is apparent that they both share some similarities and differences. They both perform the same function of preventing plagiarism and ensuring academic honesty among students.
However, when it comes to functionality, SafeAssign has an added advantage over Turnitin. In terms of plagiarism prevention, Turnitin is more effective. But both do the same job just fine.
