How Turnitin Works: Scoring, Reports, Special Cases & More
Ever wondered how Turnitin evaluates the papers?
Whether you're crafting a final essay or grading assignments, understanding Turnitin's process is crucial.
This guide explores how Turnitin operates, from its plagiarism detection mechanisms to its grading insights, equipping you with the knowledge to effectively utilize this essential tool.
Want a sneak peek at your Turnitin score before submission? Check out T-detector to get an immediate report!
Now, let’s dive in!
What is Turnitin?
Turnitin is an acclaimed tool for checking originality and preventing plagiarism, primarily utilized within educational institutions to maintain the integrity of academic work. This service compares submissions against a comprehensive database containing a wealth of academic materials, previous student submissions, and vast internet content, making it a crucial component in upholding academic standards.
Features of Turnitin
For Students:
Submission and Analysis: Students can submit their essays and reports through learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas or Blackboard. Turnitin scrutinizes these submissions by comparing them to its extensive database which includes academic publications, web pages, and previously submitted works.
Originality Report: Post-analysis, students receive a Similarity Report detailing the percentage of their text matching external sources, along with a Turnitin AI percentage. This report is pivotal in helping students identify and rectify potential plagiarism issues and improve their citation practices.
For Instructors:
Plagiarism and AI Detection: Instructors rely on Turnitin not only to check for plagiarism but also to detect potential AI-generated content. They receive a Similarity Report which provides detailed insights into the originality of each student submission.
Grading Tools: Integrated into systems like Canvas, Turnitin enhances the grading process with tools such as PeerMark, QuickMarks, and Turnitin Feedback Studio. These tools allow for efficient and effective marking, providing valuable feedback directly on the student's submission.
Turnitin Workflow
Admin Setup
Contract with Turnitin.
Integrate with LMS.
Configure academic integrity policies.
Instructor Role
Create assignments in LMS.
Enable Turnitin features (plagiarism check, AI detection).
Set assignment parameters (due dates, similarity thresholds, etc).
Student Submission
Submit work via LMS.
Turnitin analyzes text for similarity and AI-generated content.
4. Receive Similairty Report.
5. Instructor Review
Access reports in LMS.
Review similarity and AI flags.
Provide feedback and grades.
How to Get the Turnitin Report
Using Instructor or Class ID:
Turnitin is typically used within educational institutions and cannot be accessed by individuals independently.
Instructors have the option to allow students to view their Turnitin reports; however, this access is usually limited to the similarity score portion of the report. The AI detection score, which indicates the presence of AI-generated content, is not visible to students and is reserved for instructor use to aid in academic integrity assessments.
How to Get a Turnitin Report Without an Account
For individuals who do not have access to Turnitin through an educational institution but wish to check their papers for plagiarism or similarity, it is recommended to use a service like T-detector. T-detector provides detailed reports that include similarity scores and AI analyses, similar to those offered by Turnitin. This can be particularly useful for independent learners or writers who want to ensure their work is original before publication or submission to an academic environment.
To use T-detector, simply visit the website, upload your document, and wait for the analysis to be completed within 5 to 20 minutes.
How Does Turnitin Detect Similarity?
How It Works: Detecting Content
Turnitin operates by comparing submissions against a vast database that includes:
Internet Content: Millions of active and archived web pages.
Academic Content: A comprehensive collection of journals, periodicals, and publications.
Student Work: Papers previously submitted to Turnitin from various institutions.
When a document is submitted, Turnitin analyzes it by breaking the text into smaller segments. These segments are compared to the stored content in its database using sophisticated algorithms designed to detect exact matches and close similarities. These similarities might indicate potential plagiarism or areas where citations are needed.
How the Results are Shown
The results of Turnitin's analysis are displayed in a Similarity Report. This report includes:
Similarity Score: Calculated by dividing the amount of matching text by the total number of words in the submission. This score is presented as a percentage, indicating how much of the submission matches content in Turnitin's database.
Color-Coded Feedback: The Similarity Report uses color codes to highlight the matched text:
Blue: No matching text
Green: One word to 24% similarity
Yellow: 25% to 49% similarity
Orange: 50% to 74% similarity
Red: 75% to 100% similarity
Match Overview: The sources of the matched text are detailed within the report, providing links to the matched sources. This allows educators and students to review each match individually.
Does Turnitin Detect Plagiarism?
Turnitin does not directly detect plagiarism; it identifies areas of similarity. A high similarity score does not automatically equate to plagiarism. The tool flags text that matches sources in its database, and it is up to the educator to review these matches and determine if they constitute plagiarism based on context and proper citation.
How Turnitin Detects AI Percentages
Detecting AI-Generated and AI-Paraphrased Text
Turnitin’s AI detection capabilities are designed to identify two main types of content in student submissions:
AI-Generated Text: This includes content that appears to be produced by AI writing tools, such as GPT-3 or GPT-3.5. Turnitin analyzes the text to detect unique patterns characteristic of these AI models.
AI-Paraphrased Text: This category involves identifying whether AI-generated text has been further modified using AI-based paraphrasing tools like word spinners.
AI Model Detection
Turnitin can recognize text generated by well-known AI models, primarily GPT-3 and GPT-3.5. As AI technology evolves, Turnitin updates its system to detect newer AI models, such as GPT-4, ensuring robust detection capabilities across different AI writing tools.
How Turnitin Detects AI-Generated Text
Initially, when a document is submitted to Turnitin, it is divided into multiple segments consisting of several hundred words each. This division allows the system to analyze the text in manageable parts and assess each segment in context.
AI-Generated Text Detection: Each sentence within the segmented text is evaluated independently. Turnitin’s AI detection model assigns a score ranging from 0 to 1. A score of 0 indicates the sentence is likely human-written, whereas a score of 1 suggests it is AI-generated.
AI-Paraphrased Text Detection: The AI paraphrase model only assesses segments that the initial AI detection model has identified as AI-generated.
AI-Paraphrased Scoring: Segments confirmed as AI-generated without any paraphrasing receive a score of 1 from the AI detection model and a 0 from the AI paraphrase model, marking them purely as AI-generated. Conversely, segments identified as human-written are scored as 0 by the AI detection model, indicating no AI involvement.
Calculation of AI Content: The AI model averages the scores of all analyzed segments to estimate the overall proportion of the document considered AI-generated or AI-paraphrased. The AI content report then separately displays the percentages for AI-generated and AI-paraphrased text, along with a total AI percentage that combines these two metrics.
Q: Does Turnitin specify which AI tool generated the text?
A: No, Turnitin’s AI detection does not identify the specific AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Claude, that might have been used to generate or paraphrase the text. The system is designed to focus on the nature of the content, not the specific tool used.
Cases: Understanding Turnitin Scoring Mechanisms
Case 1: Detecting Student Collusion
In a typical scenario, Student A might submit a paper they did not write but claimed as their own, receiving a similarity score of 25%. When Student B, the original author, submits their work later, they might get a 100% similarity score. Turnitin identifies potential collusion by comparing submissions against each other post-deadline, applying uniform scrutiny irrespective of submission timing.
Case 2: Resubmission of Previously Submitted Work
When a student resubmits a previously submitted paper, it might result in a high similarity score. For instance, if the student's name was included in the earlier submission, it could appear as a match. To avoid such issues, instructors can modify settings to exclude minor matches or previous submissions from the report.
Case 3: Direct Copying vs. Proper Citation
A student who lacks depth in a topic might resort to copying directly from a source, potentially receiving a high similarity score, such as 25%. Conversely, another student with a thorough understanding may compile extensively cited information from various sources, resulting in a similarity score of 30%. This scenario highlights the importance of contextualizing similarity scores, as higher scores can sometimes reflect diligent citation rather than improper conduct.
Case 4: Multiple Draft Submissions
Submitting multiple drafts of the same paper can also affect similarity scores; a final draft might erroneously show a 100% similarity score. Instructors who are aware of multiple submissions by a student can exclude earlier drafts from the similarity analysis to avoid inaccurately high similarity scores.
Case 5: Excessive Quotations
A student submitting a paper with numerous quotations and a detailed bibliography could inadvertently trigger a high similarity score, possibly over 50%. Such instances could be mitigated if educators adjust Turnitin settings to exclude quotes and bibliographic materials from similarity calculations.
How to Reduce the Turnitin Score
Lowering your Turnitin score involves addressing both the similarity score, which measures text matches with external sources, and the AI score, which assesses the likelihood of text being generated by AI tools. Here are effective strategies for each:
Ways to Lower the Similarity Score
Paraphrase Effectively: Simply changing a few words isn't enough. You need to thoroughly rewrite the content in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. This requires a deep understanding of the material.
Use Quotations Properly: When you directly quote a source, use quotation marks and include a proper citation. This clarifies which parts of your text are borrowed directly from other sources.
Improve Citation: Make sure every piece of borrowed information is accompanied by a correct citation. Familiarize yourself with the citation style required for your assignment and apply it consistently.
Increase Originality: Add more of your own analysis, insights, and conclusions rather than relying heavily on sourced content. This not only reduces similarity but also enhances the quality of your work.
Utilize Reference Exclusions: Turnitin allows instructors to exclude the bibliography, quotes, and small matches. If you’re a student, you can request that your instructor adjust these settings if appropriate.
Ways to Lower the AI Percentage
Manual Rewriting: After generating content using AI tools, it’s crucial to manually rewrite it. This helps mask common AI patterns and adds a human touch that AI detectors find hard to flag.
Avoid Overuse of AI Tools: If you rely on AI tools for initial drafts, ensure you thoroughly revise the content to inject your own voice and style. This can significantly reduce the AI footprint in your writing.
Mix Sources: Blend information from various credible sources and ensure that you're not just paraphrasing one or two articles. This diversity can help disguise any AI-generated structure or phrasing.
Use the Humanizer Tool: Tool like T-detector helps by adjusting your writing to make it appear more human-like, reducing both the similarity and AI scores by modifying the phrasing and structure subtly yet effectively.
Engage in Deep Editing: Go beyond simple proofreading. Adjust sentence structures, use synonyms judiciously, and alter paragraph organization where possible to make the text appear more natural and less like it was generated by an AI.
Add Personal Insights: Including your own analysis, opinions, and conclusions can significantly differentiate your work from AI-generated content, which often lacks a personal touch.
Conclusion:
That sums up our exploration of how Turnitin works, from detecting plagiarism and AI-generated content to understanding its scoring system through various scenarios.
Whether you're a student or instructor, this insight should help you navigate and utilize Turnitin more effectively.
Thanks for reading, and make the most of these tips to maintain integrity in your academic work!