Turnitin Similarity Report
The Similarity Report provides a summary of matching or similar areas of text found in a submitted paper.
Papers submitted to Turnitin may be compared against billions of internet documents, archived internet data that is no longer available on the live web, a local repository of previously submitted papers, and a subscription repository of periodicals, journals, and publications.
Any similarity checks do not mean that any submission contains plagiarized material or improperly used material.
The Similarity Report provides tutors with a tool to more easily locate matching or similar text within the text of submitted work.
Whether or not a student has committed plagiarism has to be determined by the tutor and Loughborough College.
Accessing Your Similarity Report
Your tutor may choose to hide or show the the similarity report. This could be so that they can discuss any issues with you rather than you worrying about the assignment. The similarity report is a tool that will help tutors find the sources of information that you have used in your assignment and then they can check your work to see if you have referenced the sources correctly.
If the Similarity Report is hidden from you, then you will see something like this in the assignment submissions window of the assignment part selected.
If the Similarity Report is visible to you, then you will see the column in the assignment submission window called Similarity. The percentage indicates the work submitted has been checked with other sources of information online, fellow classmates’ submissions, and pass students’ submissions, and a specific percentage of the content was found to similar in some way to other sources.
The colour offers an indication of the amount of similarity of the submission to other sources. If you click on the information in this column it will allow you to see what the similarities are with the submitted work.
The Turnitin colour code is as follows:
- blue (no matching words)
- green (one matching word – 24% similarity index)
- yellow (25-49% similarity)
- orange (50-74% similarity)
- red (75-100% similarity)
The Similarity Report Tools
If your tutor has run a similarity report on your submission (to see how similar it is to other sources) you can view this by clicking the “Match overview” tab. Below is an example of an originality report. A tutor has the option to share this with the student that has submitted the work or keep it hidden from them. The numbered explanations below help to explain the layout of the similarity report.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a similarity report?
A similarity report is a document detailing matches inside your submission to other submissions for other students at our institution and others around the world. Your lecturer may choose not to show you this report. If your lecturer has any issues with your submission they will discuss it with you privately.
I can't see my similarity report.
The similarity report may not be visible to learners. This is the choice of the lecturer who may choose not to show this report to students.
Does a high similarity score mean that am in trouble?
The similarity score matches the text inside your submission to others that are stored in a database online. This is used to detect similarities between your work and that submitted by others. As long as you reference any work within your own submission there is probably no need to worry. You should contact your lecturer if you are concerned.
Why is my report percentage a certain colour?
The Turnitin colour code is as follows:
- blue (no matching words)
- green (one matching word – 24% similarity index)
- yellow (25-49% similarity)
- orange (50-74% similarity)
- red (75-100% similarity)
Remember, just because it has matched sources doesn’t mean you have done anything wrong. If you have referenced your work correctly, you should have nothing to worry about.
I am worried about my similarity report.
You should contact your lecturer to discuss your submission and your report.