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Google search or type in the prefix “https://www.turnitin.com/”
Register + log in with professor’s course code and password (you may wish to create multiple accounts.)
Upload files to check for plagiarism
Limit three submissions per assignment; subsequent attempts must wait 24 hours before submission
After submitting, view your plagiarism report some time later
Click “View” to download the report.
How can we increase the usage of Turnitin? :
● Blue colour indicates zero in the text:
●Blue indicates zero matches in the text.
●Green indicates a 24% match for a single word.
●Yellow signals 25%-49% of matched text.
●Orange signals 50%-74% of text similarity.
●Red signals 75%-100% of exact text matches.
These correspond to Turnitin’s plagiarism scoring criteria. While most samples fall into the green category, does this really represent a universal line for plagiarism detection? The answer lies in the Turnitin system, which is designed to measure the completeness of any duplicate content relative to its original form for discrepancy analysis.
Whilst some plagiarism rates, such as 24%, can be considered acceptable in certain circumstances, why are such scores challenged?
Reasons for acceptable duplicate text:
1) Appropriate citations. Legitimate citation of copied portions in the form of direct or indirect discussion is allowed.
2) Relevant statements. Common expressions often used in various scholarly works will also show up as matches on such tools.
3) Cover provided by the university. As per the university guidelines, students are allowed to reuse pre-formatted covers.
4) Material cited in an eclectic bibliography list can also be duplicated without fear of plagiarism charges.
Reasons why duplicate text is unacceptable:
1) Incorrect citation formatting.
While it may seem appropriate to cite sources directly, incorrect citation formatting can lead to unwanted charges of plagiarism.
2) Failure to provide references after paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing is usually done to avoid direct plagiarism, but it must be accompanied by appropriate references or it cannot be done.
3) Over-reliance on direct quotations of substance.
It should not be assumed that every part of an entire paper can be directly quoted.
It is worth noting here that self-imposed limits on plagiarism such as “10 per cent” and “20 per cent” should not be imposed unless strict disciplinary standards are in place. A low plagiarism rate, while pleasing to the eye, may also indicate that one’s argument is not supported by sufficient literature.
Therefore, it is important to strike a balance between maintaining high quality and avoiding plagiarism allegations by using an advanced plagiarism checking system like Turnitin. It allows plagiarism findings to be critically assessed and necessary changes made accordingly.
