FAQs

Where do I find Turnitin?
You don’t need to look anywhere for Turnitin. It will be incorporated into Moodle and will automatically check designated assignments when you submit them through Moodle.

How does Turnitin work?
A lecturer creates a Turnitin assignment in Moodle. Students or lecturers then submit papers via file upload or cut-and-paste. A report is generated highlighting the non-original material in your assignment.

How long does it take to get the report after submitting my assignment?
Allow plenty of time before submitting your final assignment! The first submission may only take 15 minutes, but subsequent submissions may take 24 hours or more to be processed before you can view the Originality Report.

What is a Similarity Score?
The Similarity Score is a percentage of material in your assignment that has been matched from other sources. There is no need to be unnecessarily concerned about a high score, as Turnitin picks up things like:

• Book titles
• Quotes (which are allowed so long as they have been acknowledged)
• The cover page
• The assignment question
• Names of authors
• The reference list
• Common phrases and so on

The Similarity Score alerts you to the percentage of non-original material in your assignment. You then need to use the Originality Report to see where the matches are and reveiw your work. You may have simply forgotten to reference a quote!

Do I need to look at the Originality Report?
Yes. This report shows where the matches have occurred and gives you the opportunity to edit and improve your paper.

What about my reference list?
You can always click the ‘Exclude Bibliography’ button in the top left hand corner of the Originality Report. This doesn’t change the Similarity Score, but the report can now be examined without this included.

What should I do if my percentage score is too high?
A high Similarity Score does not necessarily mean that you have plagiarised. All Turnitin does is alert you to material matched elsewhere. You now have the opportunity to see where the material has been matched and make changes if necessary.

• Have you acknowledged all quotes?
• Should you rephrase a paragraph?
• Is your reference list written correctly?
• Do you need to remove some quotes?

What happens if I have plagiarised?
Remember that Turnitin doesn’t check for plagiarism. It only points out matching text. Turnitin is an educative tool that assists you to understand and identify material that appears to be plagiarised. It is up to YOU to decide whether you have plagiarised another person’s words or thoughts. Turnitin gives you the opportunity to reveiw your work to ensure you have adequately referenced the sources of your ideas.

Can the lecturer see the report?
Yes, but they will assess it in the same way that you do by checking the legitimate matches.

How many times can I submit an assignment?
As many times as you like. Just remember that subsequent submissions take much longer to process (they could take up to 24 hours) and you should allow plenty of time to ensure your assignment is submitted by the due date. Using Turnitin as an excuse is not acceptable.

How do I submit an assignment?
Follow these quick instructions

Where do I go for help?
Turnitin Student Studio

What about group projects?
It's important that you elect only one person from each group to submit the paper. If each group member submits the same assignment, Turnitin will return a 100% match!



(Adapted from Australian College of Physical Education http://currentstudents.acap.edu.au/assets/ITACAP/IT-Help--Support/Student-Guide-TurnitinFAQs.pdf)