10 Common Turnitin Mistakes Students Make (and How to Avoid Them)
Most Turnitin problems are not intentional plagiarism — they are process mistakes. Ten of the most common are easy to avoid once you know they exist.
1. Submitting drafts to the standard repository
Your draft is stored. Your final submission matches your own draft at 100%. Always use non-repository for drafts.
2. Forgetting to exclude bibliography
Reference lists inflate similarity by 5–15% for no real reason. Turnitin has a one-click exclusion filter.
3. Over-quoting
Quotes count toward similarity unless excluded. Paraphrase whenever you can.
4. Uncited paraphrases
Rewording without a citation is still plagiarism. The rule is: if the idea is not yours, cite.
5. Self-plagiarism
Reusing your own previous work without citation is misconduct at most institutions.
6. Uploading the wrong file format
Scanned PDFs of handwritten work are treated as images and return 0% — hiding real matches.
7. Assuming green means safe
A 12% score from one uncited paragraph is worse than 30% properly cited. Read the highlights, not just the total.
8. Ignoring the AI detection score
AI writing detection is a separate report. A 5% similarity score with 80% AI flag is still a problem.
9. Not reading the exclusions
Instructors may exclude quotes and small matches, giving you a lower score than a raw check. Use their settings when you self-check.
10. Waiting until the last hour
Turnitin sometimes queues submissions during peak times. Submit at least 24 hours before deadline.
FAQ
Can I remove my paper from Turnitin?
Only your instructor can request removal from the repository, and only within specific windows. Non-repository submission prevents storage in the first place.
How many times can I resubmit?
Depends on the instructor's setting — sometimes once, sometimes unlimited. Check before you rely on it.
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