UC San Diego Extended Studies has integrated Turnitin plagiarism and AI detection into our Canvas LMS. Turnitin’s Similarity Report has a thoughtfully designed, intuitive interface and simplified categorization of match types, making it easier to interpret report results for instructional and academic integrity purposes.
This article provides an overview of the Similarity Report interface and explains the components of the report so that you can use this valuable tool with confidence.
Article Contents
- Similarity Report Content
- Important Considerations
- Effectively Using Turnitin Reports
- Addressing Concerning Similarity Report Results
Similarity Report Content
The Turnitin Similarity Report has three layers of data that you can use to evaluate the academic integrity of your students' submissions. Click the tab towards the top center that corresponds to the data you wish to inspect (see screenshot below).
A. Similarity Match Groups
B. Flags
C. AI Writing
Similarity Match Groups
Similarity indicates whether or not your students' submissions match content on the internet or in the Turnitin database using four categories of match (see screenshot below):
A. Not Cited or Quoted
B. Missing Quotation
C. Missing Citation
D. Cited and Quoted
These four match groups clarify the ways that student work is similar to existing text(s), making it simpler for you to determine how to provide feedback on your students' submissions. The groups are explained below.
- Note: For advice on how to address concerning report results, skip below to Addressing Concerning Similarity Report Results.
Clicking on any of these four categories [1] will focus on the corresponding match sources in the right-side panel, below the categories. The categories can be collapsed or expanded [2] as needed.
A. Not Cited or Quoted
This is the most problematic type of match. When a student submits work that contains matched content that is not cited or quoted, that is an instance of plagiarism—whether it was intentional or unintentional. If the words were borrowed verbatim, then those words must be surrounded by quotation marks. If the idea was summarized or paraphrased, then the author should receive attribution somewhere in the sentence. In both quoted and paraphrased content, there must be a citation.How Not Cited or Quoted content looks in the report
B. Missing Quotation
Missing quotation marks are not always a deliberate act of misconduct, though technically, when quotation marks are omitted from words taken verbatim from another source, that is considered plagiarism. When quotation marks are missing, the borrowed text appears to be the student's ideas, which is a problem if that is not true.
How Missing Quotation content looks in the report
How to Interpret the Data
C. Missing Citation
A missing citation is not necessarily a deliberate act of misconduct either, but technically, when another author is not credited for their work, that is considered plagiarism. When a citation is missing, the reader may assume that the writing is the original work of the student, which is a problem if that is not true.
How Missing Citation content looks in the report
How to Interpret the Data
D. Cited and Quoted
Cited and quoted outside content (i.e., the words and ideas of others) is the academic standard. However, just because something is cited and quoted does not mean that the content is accurate. Be prepared to determine if the cited and quoted content is real (not a product of an AI hallucination, for example) and if the content has been properly quoted and cited according to your standards.
How Cited and Quoted content looks in the report
How to Interpret the Data
Source Types: Internet and Submitted Works
There are two sources of matched content: Internet and Submitted Works.Internet as Source
Submitted Works indicate matched content, but they are labeled as "Private Content" for privacy reasons and do not allow you to compare matched content with student writing, which will require more careful assessment of this type of content.
Flags
The following explanation about text flags comes directly from the Turnitin documentation about the enhanced Similarity Report.
The metadata in the Turnitin Flags Panel can assist you in determining when a student is explicitly
trying to trick the Turnitin system. Consider the presence or absence of each of these elements when addressing questionable student work.
- Hidden characters: hidden text that has been colored white to disappear. A student may intend to inflate word count and decrease the overall Similarity Score.
- Text replacement: characters from one alphabet being used to replace characters from another alphabet. A student may intend to circumvent similarity detection by replacing characters and making words slightly different from the original source.
How Flags look in the report
On the left side of the screenshot below, you will see the panel containing the student's text with any flagged content; on the right side, you will see the panel containing the flag type.
How to Interpret the Data
In the example below, the report indicates manipulation of text using replaced characters from a different alphabet. This is unacceptable behavior and would require the instructor to approach the student about academic integrity expectations and consequences for misbehavior.
AI Writing
Turnitin's AI detection analyzes writing style and structure to identify potential use of AI-generated content, which is displayed as a percentage. The percentage indicates the amount of qualifying text that was determined to be AI written; however, this percentage is not necessarily the percentage of the entire submission.-
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Note: AI detection only works on submissions of 350+ words and only analyzes blocks of text that are written in standard grammatical sentences (long-form prose) and does not include other types of writing such as lists, bullet points, or other non-sentence structures. If text within the submission is not considered long-form prose text, it will not be included.
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How the AI score looks in the report
On the left side of the screenshot below, you will see the panel containing the student's text with any content identified as AI generated; on the right side, you will see the panel containing the overall percentage score of the paper.
Important Considerations
Extended Studies instructors are required to thoroughly review student submissions to ensure they meet the academic rigor and integrity expectations of the course and institution.
Above all, it is important to understand that a high similarity score does not always suggest that a piece of writing has been plagiarized, and neither does a low similarity score always indicate that no plagiarism has occurred—in short, there is no ideal cutoff percentage or threshold. Therefore, the Turnitin Similarity Report is not a replacement for instructor expertise and manual review.
- Manual Review of Each Report is Essential: A thorough review of all flagged areas is crucial. The color coding in the Canvas Speedgrader badge and the percentages in the Turnitin report are not definitive indicators of plagiarism or AI use—instructors must view each report to see if AI was used and if the Similarity Report contains any problematic highlights.
- Color Coding and Percentages: Percentages are not definitive; instead, the document percentages and highlighted text within a document provide instructors with areas to focus attention on in order to ensure that a student's submitted work meets grading criteria and conforms to academic integrity expectations.
- Communicate Expectations: Clearly outline your expectations for originality and source integration in your assignment instructions. If no AI is allowed whatsoever, this should be stated explicitly in your syllabus and assignment instructions. If you are going to allow some AI use, you will have to articulate your policy and make the best determinations for your instructional goals.
- Focus on Context: Consider factors like proper citation, paraphrasing, and the nature of the assignment when evaluating similarity scores. High scores for common knowledge or correctly cited sources may not be a concern.
Examples of Highlighted Content unrelated to Academic Misconduct
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- If you notice that some sentences are flagged for paraphrasing, but the student has done a sufficient job rephrasing someone else's words and they have cited that source, you can ignore that highlighted text. Remember that paraphrasing is normal, academic work.
- If you notice that a reference or citation has been highlighted, you can ignore that highlight.
- If, however, a student seems to be missing quotation marks and/or citations, then you would want to address this with a student. While a few mistakes may happen in a novice writer's work, frequent and ongoing mistakes, especially after being addressed, may be considered academic misconduct.
- Your discussion question or writing prompt might be part of the highlighted content, so you will need to exclude any such content from the report manually.
Effectively Using the Turnitin Reports
Turnitin provides instructors with a layer of information that enhances their normal and expected manual review process, shining a critical light on content that might potentially go unnoticed. In short, Turnitin does not replace instructors—it assists them.
- Review Highlighted Text: Analyze the flagged sections in the Turnitin report to understand the nature of the similarities.
- Assess Citation and Paraphrasing: Ensure students have properly cited sources and paraphrased information when necessary. You may need to provide additional instruction about citation and quotation guidelines. Remember that there is only so much paraphrasing that can be done in the English language without distorting meaning or creating convoluted writing. Consider that the assignment itself may not be asking for completely novel ideas, and prepare yourself for "familiar" language across submissions.
- Evaluate AI Flags: Investigate potential AI use by considering writing style and the content's overall coherence.
Signs of Potential AI-Generated Writing
- Exceptionally Fast Completion: Assignments submitted very quickly, especially for complex topics, could indicate AI use.
- Bland or Generic Content: Work that lacks specifics or uses broad terminology might be AI-generated.
- Rephrased Prompts: Discussion posts that simply restate the prompt without original analysis suggest AI use.
- Lack of Substance: Responses lacking opinions, experiences, or emotions may be AI-written.
- Style Shifts: Sudden changes in writing style compared to previous work could be a red flag.
- Off-topic Responses: Written responses that may be articulate and informative but that do not answer your specific questions or contain content taught in your course may be AI generated.
- Perfect Prose: Overly clean and organized writing, especially with technical writing structure, might be AI-generated. Consider the possibility of advanced writing assistance tools as well.
- Hallucinations: Look for nonexistent references or factual inaccuracies that could indicate AI-generated content.
- Formatting Problems: Copied content with strange formatting might point to AI use.
Addressing Concerning Similarity Report Results
If a student's work contains content that is improperly quoted or cited or contains flagged elements or AI content, then you will need to address the severity of these academic missteps with them via email, explaining your academic expectations and the consequences when the expectations are not met. Refer to the UC San Diego Extended Studies Academic Integrity Policy for complete details. You can also reach out to Instructor Excellence for advice or consult the many helpful guides in the Extended Studies Instructor Resource Center in Canvas.
You may also want to review the student-directed resources below and share them with your students both preemptively and in response to concerning report results.
- Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism (Students)
- Paraphrasing and Scholarly Citation in Academic Writing (Students)
Conclusion
Turnitin is a tool that can help instructors identify potential plagiarism and AI use. However, the instructor's professional judgment and thorough review ultimately determine whether academic misconduct has occurred.
If you would like assistance with interpreting your Turnitin reports, please email us at Instructor Excellence (ext-instructorexcellence@ucsd.edu).