By default, Turnitin accepts most common file types. However, your lecturer may have restricted this to a particular file type for your assessment. Speak to your subject coordinator for these details.
For unacceptable file types and more detail on submitting Microsoft Excel (.xls and .xlsx), Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx, and .pps), Adobe PDF, Google Docs via Google Drive files, consult the File Types and Size FAQ from Turnitin.
Turnitin will accept any file:
where the text can be checked for similarity,
that is less than 100MB,
that has a minimum of 20 words, and
that is less than 800 pages.
If a file only contains text, it must be less than 2MB.
After submission, your work is scanned for similarity against an extensive internal database of internet sources, journals and many students’ submitted work.
The similarity is represented as a percentage.
To interpret this report and determine if you should amend some of your writing, follow the instructions in the Interpreting the Similarity Report FAQ.
Before the due date, any similarity to your classmates' work will not be shown in the Similarity Report.
You may notice an increase in similarity after the due date as your assessment will then be compared against the Turnitin database AND your classmates' submissions.
You may also notice an increase in similarity after the due date if an assessment template has been used. In a situation where students have used template text such as table headers or report sections, these sections of text will only show as matches within the class group after the due date has passed, and will likely increase similarity percentages for the whole class group.
Likewise, if two or more students have included the same piece of text, Turnitin will display the existing external database matches prior to the due date. Once the due date passes, these student papers will also match against each other
You can resubmit your assessment and it will overwrite any previous submissions.
If you are required to submit a reference list for your assessment task, you must include it in the same document that you submit to Turnitin.
It is common to receive text similarity matches for your reference list. To interpret this report and determine if you should amend some of your writing, follow the instructions on Interpreting the Similarity Report.
The reference list is placed at the end of your assessment and submitted to Turnitin as one file.
It is essential that you plan your time carefully and do not leave the submission of your assessment until the last minute. It's always a possibility that a network delay or Turnitin service outage could cause a delay resulting in a late submission.
To maximise your changes of successful on-time submission:
Ensure the final version of your document is saved and readily accessible for upload.
Complete the submission via a fixed, reliable internet connection rather than WiFi.
Reduce the number of browser windows and documents you have open during the submission process - this will reduce network load as well as minimise confusion.
If your submission is late or unsuccessful as a result of technical issues, you should also let your tutor or subject coordinator know, and provide details of the steps you have tried and issues experienced.
A Similarity Report will normally be available within a few minutes for the first three submissions of your assessment. It can take up to 24 hours for a Similarity Report to be available for subsequent submissions.
A digital receipt is displayed on screen after submission. You will also receive a digital receipt via your student email.
You can download a copy of your submitted paper and the digital receipt via the Document Viewer.
Follow the instructions in the 'Downloading Submitted Papers and Digital Receipts' FAQ.
A digital receipt is displayed on screen after submission. You will also receive a digital receipt via your student email.
You can download a copy of your submitted paper and the digital receipt via the Document Viewer.
Follow the instructions in the 'Downloading Submitted Papers and Digital Receipts' FAQ.
University has set maximum 20% on similarity. Although this has been set, your marker will review your similarity again.
The percentage of original writing will vary depending on the type of writing and the subject area involved. Review your similarity matches to identify any accidental plagiarism or text that requires a citation.
It is important to use your own academic judgement in each individual piece of work. To avoid any possibility of plagiarism, ensure that you write original work in each assessment you submit.
Ask yourself:
Have I written an original piece of work?
Have I clearly acknowledged all of my sources?
Are my sources in my reference list?
Has any work in this assessment already been submitted to Turnitin?
To interpret this report and determine if you should amend some of your writing, follow the instructions in the Interpreting the Similarity Report FAQ.