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Bibliographies: Turnitin

Turnitin: It's not about the percentage

Turnitin is used at Monte as a academic honesty tool to ensure that students learn the skills of referencing and acknowledging sources.

Students upload work to Turnitin via MonteConnect. The submitted work is then compared to a database of web, journal and academic content to assess similarities to other people's work.

It's important to understand that there is no 'acceptable' Turnitin originality percentage. Depending on the type of work you submit, you might get a high percentage that is nothing to worry about (for example, if it includes lots of quotes). Teachers look at what the matches are, not the actual percentage that is generated in the Originality report. THE PERCENTAGE DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S WHAT THE MATCHES ARE THAT ARE THE ISSUE. For that reason, you MUST look at your own originality report to assess if you have correctly referenced sources.

For troubleshooting Turnitin issues contact Mrs Brown or Miss Laba in the library.

Teacher resources

Why can't I see my originality score

 

  • Check that your document is Word or PDF format only. Turnitin DOES NOT accept Pages documents
  • Check that your document size is not more than 20MB
  • Are you trying to make a re-submission (2nd submission) after the due date? Turnitin wont accept resubmissions after the due date
  • Is it your first time submitting a document to Turnitin? Check your internet browser's address bar to ensure that pop-ups from MonteConnect are not being blocked. If they are, allow pop-ups from MonteConnect
  • Still having trouble? Contact Mrs Brown or Miss Laba in the Monte Library
Turnitin FAQs

 

How do I submit my file to Turnitin?

Through the link that your teacher will have created on your MonteConnect course page

How long does it take to get my originality percentage figure?

The Originality Report (the percentage figure you want to see) is usually created within 5 to 10 minutes of submission. That is for an average paper of 500 to 1000 words. Longer papers will take a little more time.

Can I submit my assignment more than once?

Yes, if your teacher allows it. However you cannot re-submit your assignment after the due date has passed. Turnitin does not allow this. See your teacher if this causes an issue.

What kinds of files can I submit?

Turnitin accepts Word, PDF or Powerpoint. Turnitin will not accept Pages or Keynote files

What originality percentage is acceptable?

It's not about the number. It is about what comes back as a match. You must correctly acknowledge all the source material that you have used to create your assignment, whether you are quoting, summarising or paraphrasing (putting it in your own words). Consider Turnitin as your friend: a way to check your referencing.

Need Turnitin help?


Contact Mrs Brown or Miss Laba in the Library by email.