Get Started with SafeAssign
Instructors can use the SafeAssign service to check submitted assignments for originality. SafeAssign compares your submitted assignments against a set of academic papers to identify areas of overlap between the submitted assignment and existing works.
The SafeAssign process
SafeAssign is based on a unique text matching algorithm capable of detecting exact and inexact matching between a paper and source material.
Assignments are compared against several different databases containing millions of articles dating from the 1990s to the present. After the comparison, a report is generated that provides detailed information about the matches found.
Your instructor is using SafeAssign if you see a SafeAssign statement and a list of supported file types on the submission page.
More on how to submit work with SafeAssign
Safeguard your work
You can safeguard your own work by submitting copies of your papers to the Global Reference Database. Papers from other institutions are checked against your paper. This protects the originality of your work across institutions. The Global Reference Database is a separate database from your institution's database. When you submit your papers to the database voluntarily, you agree not to delete papers in the future. You are free to select the option to check your papers without submitting them to the Global Reference Database. Blackboard doesn't claim ownership of submitted papers.
SafeAssign originality reports
After a paper is processed, a report is generated detailing the percentage of text in the submitted paper that matches existing sources. The report also shows the suspected sources for each section that returns a match. When the paper is a continuation of a previously submitted work, your instructor can delete matching sources from the report and process it again.
The Originality Report does not state whether a phrase that matches a source is properly referenced. Your instructor must read the report and determine if you used proper citations.
Your instructor decides if you can see the report.