Skip to Content

Universitas Terbuka Turnitin Guide

Turnitin is one of the most widely used plagiarism-detection tools in Indonesian higher education, including at Universitas Terbuka (UT).

Because UT uses a distance-learning model, written assignments play a major role in assessing students’ academic progress.

Ensuring originality is therefore essential!

This guide explains how Turnitin works at UT, how to submit your writing properly, and how to interpret similarity reports so you can maintain academic integrity.

1. What Is Turnitin?

Turnitin is an online system that checks your writing for similarity against:

  • Academic journals
  • Books
  • Online sources
  • Previously submitted student papers worldwide

Turnitin does not “detect plagiarism” directly; instead, it highlights matching text. Your lecturer or UT faculty determines whether the similarity indicates plagiarism or acceptable citation.

2. Why Universitas Terbuka Uses Turnitin

As an open-distance university, UT receives tens of thousands of assignments every semester. Turnitin helps UT:

  • Maintain academic standards
  • Ensure fairness among students
  • Train students to cite sources properly
  • Prevent unintentional plagiarism

Many UT study programs (fakultas) require Turnitin for tugas akhir, essays, essays, reports, and even forum tasks depending on the course.

3. How to Access Turnitin Through UT

UT provides Turnitin access in one of two ways depending on the course and faculty:

A. Direct instructor-provided Turnitin class

Your instructor or tutor gives you:

  • A Turnitin Class ID
  • An Enrollment Key

You log into Turnitin.com and join the class.

B. LMS-based Turnitin submission (Tutorial Online / TUTON or TTM Digital)

Some UT courses integrate Turnitin as part of their LMS. In this case:

  • You upload assignments through the LMS
  • Turnitin runs automatically
  • The similarity report appears inside the platform

Always check your course instructions because procedures can vary.

4. How to Submit Your Assignment to Turnitin

  1. Prepare your file
    • Format: .doc, .docx, .pdf
    • Make sure text is selectable (not scanned images)
  2. Login to Turnitin or LMS
    • Enter the Class ID and Enrollment Key if needed
  3. Upload your document
    • Use the “Submit Paper” or “Upload Assignment” button
    • Add your title and upload the file
  4. Confirm submission
    • Turnitin generates a digital receipt
    • This proves your assignment was successfully submitted

5. Understanding the Turnitin Similarity Report

Turnitin provides a percentage score showing how much of your document matches other sources. It also highlights matched text and links to the original source.

Typical UT similarity thresholds

(These vary slightly by program.)

  • ≤ 20% — Generally acceptable
  • 21%–40% — Needs revision
  • > 40% — Likely rejected and must be rewritten

Remember: Similarity is not automatically plagiarism. Properly cited quotes and references will appear as matches but usually do not count as violations.

6. Common Reasons for High Similarity Scores

  • Too many direct quotations
  • Copying definitions or explanations from textbooks or the internet
  • Reusing your own writing from earlier courses (self-plagiarism)
  • Incorrect paraphrasing
  • Missing or incomplete citations
  • Copying from sample assignments shared by other students

7. How to Reduce Your Turnitin Similarity Score

A. Paraphrase Effectively

Rewrite ideas using your own structure and vocabulary while preserving the meaning.

B. Use Citations Correctly

Follow UT’s required citation style (often APA).

C. Limit Long Direct Quotations

Use short quotes only when necessary.

D. Run a Pre-Check (if allowed)

Some instructors allow students to submit drafts to Turnitin before the final version.

E. Remove unnecessary formatting

Tables, appendices, and repeated headers sometimes increase the match percentage.

8. Tips for UT Students Writing Academic Papers

  • Start assignments early; rushing leads to accidental copying
  • Take notes in your own words
  • Use UT’s recommended academic writing resources
  • Keep track of every source you read
  • Review your similarity report before final submission (if permitted)

9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Can I submit the same paper in two different UT courses?
No. This counts as self-plagiarism, unless explicitly approved by your tutor.

Q. Why does my reference list appear as a match?
Because Turnitin detects identical citations. This is normal and not penalized.

Q. My similarity score is high, but most matches are from my own previous draft. Is that allowed?
Some UT instructors exclude drafts; others don’t. Always check your course instructions.

Q. My PDF contains images of text—will Turnitin detect it?
No. Turnitin cannot read text stored as images. Always submit selectable text.

Conclusion

Turnitin is an essential tool for ensuring the integrity of academic work at Universitas Terbuka.

By understanding how to submit assignments, interpret similarity reports, and apply good writing practices, students can confidently produce original, high-quality work that meets UT’s academic standards.