Plagiarism & Turnitin: how to avoid it

Almost every university checks assignments with Turnitin. Here you'll understand what it measures, what score is acceptable, and how to write genuine text with correct citations.

What plagiarism is

Plagiarism is presenting someone else's ideas or words as your own. It's not just copying — it takes many forms:

Copy/paste without quotation marks and a citation.
Poor paraphrasing — changing a few words but keeping the structure and meaning.
Using an idea without citing it, even if written in your own words.
Self-plagiarism — resubmitting your own old work.
Patchwriting — stitching together pieces from various sources.

How Turnitin works

Turnitin compares your text against a huge database: submitted assignments, websites and academic journals. It produces a Similarity Score — the percentage of your text that matches existing sources.

Note: the score is not a "plagiarism percentage". A properly quoted sentence with quotation marks and a citation counts as similarity but is not plagiarism. Your supervisor judges the context, not just the number.

What score is acceptable

There's no universal rule — each institution sets its own threshold. Indicatively, many departments consider a similarity below 15–20% acceptable.

Quotations and the bibliography are often excluded from the filtering.
Where the similarity appears matters too: many small matches are fine, one large identical paragraph is not.
Always check the exact threshold in your department's or module's guide.

How to avoid it

The most effective practices:

Write from scratch — start from understanding, not from copying.
Paraphrase properly: understand the idea, close the source and write it in your own structure and words.
Cite every source — every idea that isn't yours needs a citation (APA).
Use direct quotes with quotation marks only where needed.

See the full bibliography and APA citations guide.

Plagiarism and AI tools

Recently, an AI check was added (detecting text from ChatGPT etc.). These tools are inaccurate and often produce wrong results — so you shouldn't rely on "tricks" to fool them.

The safe solution is simple: genuine text written by humans, with a natural style and correct citations. On every assignment we take on, we deliver a free plagiarism and AI check report, so you can submit with confidence.

Check before submitting

Before submitting, run a plagiarism check and fix whatever is needed. That way you avoid surprises and submit with peace of mind.

If you're under pressure or want certainty, we can take on your assignment from scratch — with genuine text and a free originality report.

Frequently asked questions about plagiarism

What plagiarism percentage is acceptable?

There's no universal rule, but most institutions accept a similarity below 15–20%. Where it appears matters too: proper quotations with quotation marks and the bibliography are often excluded.

Does Turnitin detect AI-written text?

Turnitin has added an indication of possible AI use, but it is inaccurate and makes mistakes. Text written by a human, with a natural style and correct citations, does not face such a problem.

How do I paraphrase properly without plagiarism?

Changing words is not enough. Understand the idea, write it in your own words and structure, and always add the citation to the original source.

What do I do if the score comes out high?

Find the sections with high similarity, rewrite the sentences in your own words, turn direct quotes into paraphrase where possible, and make sure every source has a citation.

Want genuine, original text?

We take on your assignment written from scratch, by humans, with a free plagiarism and AI check.

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