Assignment Submission Overview | Use of SafeAssign
Instructors may require that assignments be submitted using Blackboard’s assignment submission tool. This enables students to submit documents electronically. In some classes, instructors may optionally configure an assignment to be submitting into SafeAssign, CMU's plagiarism-checking tool. When activated on a Blackboard assignment, work submitted into SafeAssign via the assignment submission link are compared with other academic papers found in various databases and the internet to identify matching content for possible plagiarism. SafeAssign produces a report called the Originality Report that lists similarities between a student’s submitted work and academic papers within these databases; however, the similarities do not necessarily mean that portions of the paper have been plagiarized. Rather, the SafeAssign report is intended to show detailed information about the matches found between the student’s paper and the sources identified for the instructor to determine if plagiarism occurred.
Refer to the FAQ section below for tips on creating files and troubleshooting steps.
Accessing & Submitting an Assignment
From within a Blackboard course, locate the Assignment and click on the Assignment title to open it:
Initially, the basic settings of the Assignment appear in a right-side panel menu. Click on View Instructions to proceed into the assignment and view the full instructions.
When you are ready to submit your work, click in the text editor box and attach your document by clicking on the paper clip icon or drag and drop your file into the text editor box.
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=aa9bb34b-6c75-4cbb-821a-ddb43c58d3a0.png&beidInt=219)
NOTE: When naming your document, remember to keep file names short and avoid using any special characters, such as: à or é & ' # % . , ; : * ^ ! @ $ () + ? / \ []{} + =) as these can cause issues when attempting to upload your file. Save your file in .PDF, .DOC, or .DOCX format
Navigate to your saved document, click on the document and click "Open"
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=95128b1b-2701-41fc-848b-8ce80b1656bc.png&beidInt=219)
Click Save
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=e7981b85-89b9-4d8d-80c2-b1758f515949.png&beidInt=219)
Your document will upload, then click submit
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=5018c532-3977-4ca5-9b9d-f7fd9fd6c76d.png&beidInt=219)
Click Submit once more to verify the submission
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=ab9f3d88-e787-433e-84d3-886c9d1cb552.png&beidInt=219)
Click Download to save your submission receipt (recommended). This is your proof you successfully submitted your assignment to Blackboard. Retain this for your records.
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=8dee7caa-eab1-4b0a-b186-50c6d4dcd9ed.png&beidInt=219)
Viewing Your SafeAssign Report
If SafeAssign was enabled by your instructor for an assignment and your instructor has allowed you to view the Originality Report, you will be able to view the Report to see the similarities identified between your submitted work and the academic papers within SafeAssign's databases. Access your assignment from its location in the course or find the assignment in the Gradebook. Select View Originality Report or View Submission
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=c282ed3f-5679-46ef-8489-25106716c4ca.png&beidInt=219)
The SafeAssign Originality Report will be in the upper right corner of the submission page as shown below.
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=5b038b4e-d95a-4773-ad63-f8dd2c823c76.png&beidInt=219)
Select the additional content option to expand content source information
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=8c6a12e7-c4e6-4759-af7d-5a187c485043.png&beidInt=219)
Note - Most source data can be displayed but sometimes not all source data can be displayed
![](https://cmich.teamdynamix.com/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=b1a5a554-d8e9-40c6-83c6-80541b6ea88e.png&beidInt=219)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I have submitted an assignment and now realize that revisions need to be made to it. Can I resubmit?
A1. Only if the assignment is set up to allow multiple attempts. Contact your instructor to confirm they will allow you to resubmit.
Q2. My instructor told me my submitted document was blank when they tried to open it. I know that the file has content in it - why did this happen?
A2. This is a known issue if using Windows 10 with the Edge browser to submit files--to avoid this issue, do not use Edge, only use Chrome or Firefox browsers. Edge is not a supported browser for Blackboard.
Q3. I attached a document to my Assignment submission, but my instructor is reporting problems opening the file. What is happening?
A3. Check that your file is in one of the following file formats: DOCX, DOC, PPT, PPTX, PDF, TXT, ODT, RTF, HTML, and HTM. Also, it's possible the file name contains an invalid character that must be removed. When naming your files, refer to the following tips:
- Make files easy to identify by using a naming format similar to the following: SueStudent_MKT219.doc or JDoe-Week7Assignment.pdf
- Keep file names short. Use only letters and numbers in the document file name. Avoid using spaces and any special characters (such as: & ' # % . , ; : * ^ ! @ $ () + ? / \ []{} + =) as these can oftentimes make the file inaccessible.
Q4. What do these errors indicate when attempting to access and/or submit my SafeAssign assignment?
A4. If you are receiving any of the following messages when accessing or submitting a SafeAssign assignment:
- There was a problem communicating with the SafeAssign Central Server
- Instance Not Found
- Sorry, we do not think you are logged into SafeAssign
They are all indications that third-party cookies are disabled in the browser. It will be necessary to re-enable third-party cookies within the browser, exit and re-enter the course, and then attempt to submit the document again.