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How Inspera Originality works

Inspera Originality is a tool that helps teachers and examiners review student texts and detect plagiarism and text manipulation. At KTH, Originality is used in connection with digital submissions via Canvas. The review results are compiled into an analysis report that you as a teacher or examiner, need to review. KTH recommends using Originality as an integrated tool in Canvas "Assignments," but it can also be used independently in exceptional cases.

Inspera Originality replaces Ouriginal

On October 31, 2025, Ouriginal will be shut down and replaced by the new plagiarism checking tool: Inspera Originality. The change is due to the fact that the provider behind Ouriginal has been acquired and has chosen to discontinue the service.

Just like Ouriginal, Inspera Originality is used to analyze student submissions and generate reports to support your own assessment. The system will be available directly through Canvas, and there will also be an option for independent reviews.

Read more about the transition here: News about the transition from Ouriginal to Originality

What are the sources checked in Originality?

Guides on how to use Originality

Using Originality in Canvas

Using Originality independently

Originality compares the student’s text against three sources:

  • Websites – Publicly available web pages.
  • Academic databases – Published research material.
  • Student submissions at KTH – Previously submitted documents within the organization, if this option has been activated.

The system handles over 30 languages and can also detect plagiarism where the text has been translated from one language to another.

Review generates a report

When Originality has analyzed the texts, you receive a result in the form of a report showing how much of the text is original and how much is plagiarized. You can also see the sources of any plagiarized material.

Requirements for submitted texts

For Originality to be able to analyze a text and generate a report, the following conditions must be met:

  • The text must contain at least 20 words and 430 characters.

  • The file format must be pdf or docx.

  • Originality checking must have been activated when the assignment was created.

  • A primary language must be chosen for the review, with the option to add up to three additional languages for translation checking.

If these requirements are not met, the text will appear in Canvas, but no originality report will be generated and no plagiarism check will be performed.

How the review works

When a student submits their text via Canvas, the assignment is automatically linked to Originality, provided that you as the teacher have activated the function when creating the assignment.

The analysis starts once the submission has been registered, and the system needs about 100 seconds per 1,000 words to process the text. An originality report is usually available within 15 minutes after the assignment has closed.

​Report if you suspect plagiarism

If you judge that a student has plagiarised their work, you must report a disciplinary offence. On the page Report of disciplinary offence  you can read more about what you need to include in the report. There you will also find who you can contact at your school if you are unsure about the process.

The teacher’s assessment is most important

Originality reviews texts, but you as the teacher need to actively evaluate the reports that the system provides. Originality is not a replacement for the teacher’s judgment, but a tool to facilitate and support the assessment of students’ work. A high or low match in the review report does not necessarily mean anything. It is the teacher’s responsibility to review the information from Originality and determine whether it constitutes plagiarism.

Approach to Originality for different roles at KTH

The following applies to the use of Originality depending on role/title and purpose:

Teaching staff

Originality is intended to support teachers’ assessment work within the framework of teaching, or in similar situations such as supervision. Teachers in courses hosted in Canvas may use Originality to check students’ texts for plagiarism.

Doctoral students

Doctoral students who teach may use Originality to check their students’ texts for plagiarism but should generally not use it to review their own documents. If a doctoral student wishes to check, for example, their thesis, this should be done in consultation with the supervisor. The plagiarism check is then carried out either by the supervisor submitting the material to Originality, or by the doctoral student emailing the material directly to the supervisor’s analysis address. In both cases, the Originality report is sent to the supervisor.

If you supervise theses, doctoral students, or licentiate students

You can use Originality independently if you do not have a Canvas course linked to your teaching. This may be relevant if you supervise theses, doctoral students, or licentiate students. Read more about how to use Originality independently. (LINK)

If you do not have an account in Originality

If you are listed as a teacher in a course during the current period, you automatically have an account and analysis address in Originality. If you need an account and analysis address but are not listed as a teacher in UG, contact it-support@kth.se .