SafeAssign is Blackboard's plagiarism prevention tool. When a student submits work through SafeAssign, it is checked against several databases of source material.

The following types of files can be submitted to SafeAssign:

• .doc or .docx (Microsoft Word).
• .odt (OpenOffice.org Writer).
• .pdf (Adobe PDF).
• .rtf (Rich text format).
• .txt (Plain text).
• .htm or .html (Web page).

1. SafeAssignments have a green checkmark icon. Click View/Complete.
2. Click Browse to attach your assignment. Your assignment must be an attached file.
   
   Note: Do not use special characters (#, &, ?, =, etc.) in your filename. Do not copy and paste your assignment into the Comments box.
3. If you check the box next to I agree to submit my paper to the Global Reference Database, you are volunteering to submit your paper to this database. After your paper is submitted, it will be included in future plagiarism checks for every institution using SafeAssign. This deters use of your ideas by others without your permission. If you do not check the box, your paper will still be included in the institutional (University at Buffalo) database.
   
   Note: If you are uploading to a SafeAssign Draft, the Global Reference Database option will not appear.
4. Click Submit.
5. To make sure your assignment has been submitted, go to View/Complete again. If there is an exclamation point (!) where your grade should be, that means your assignment has been received. When your instructor grades your assignment, that exclamation point will be replaced by a grade.
6. When your assignment has been processed and graded, go to View/Complete again. In addition to seeing your grade, you can also view the percentage of potential plagiarism, as well as the report generated by SafeAssign, which details all instances of potential plagiarism. Click on the icon beneath SA Report to view this report.
   
   Note: SafeAssign does not know the difference between plagiarized and properly cited material. Even if you use references, footnotes, or a bibliography, SafeAssign may still flag quotations, resulting in a higher Matching percentage. It is up to your instructor to read your SA Report carefully and determine whether or not you plagiarized. They may also choose to reprocess your assignment, excluding sources that match your properly referenced materials.