Turnitin and Essay Planning Notes

Emma J. Horsfield

Critical and Cultural Studies L6: Degree Essay / Report

Module code: 6FTC1035

Turnitin Report

I have looked at how a Turnitin report works and as part of the activity below, read and analysed an essay as well and its basic structure for submission to this level of study.  The notes below will help to keep me focussed on these requirements with the Turnitin information aiding me for the next activity which will be to submit some of my work for a Turnitin report.

The essay in this activity features the following:

Cover Page: (large heading with Time Submitted, Submission ID, Word Count and Character Count in the footer

Title Page: Course code and name, Title of essay, Word count, Subtitles (or quotes), with College details, Tutor, Date and student name on bottom.

Footer on all sheets to contain ‘Degree Essay / Report’

Abstract Page:  Paragraphs of text as well as section on ‘Keywords’

Table of Contents Page: (divided into sections, e.g. Introduction, then other sections essay is divided into)

Section 1:

Introduction Page (1.1) General paragraph, then another heading with question (why relevant?) with paragraph of text and illustrations.  Other sub sections within section 1 to be listed as 1.2, 1.3 and so on. Table of relevant figures could be included for example.  Group illustrations for their relevance (e.g. a set of illustrations proving the same point or referring to the same aspect of an argument should be listed as 2.1, 2.2a, 2.2b etc.)

Define any new terms.

Where tables are used, list as ‘Table 1’ etc rather than ‘Figure 1’, together with title and source (Source:  Author name, title and page numbers).

Section 2 and subsequent sections to be divided up into similar areas (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

Subsections: can also be divided up into further sections and will become: 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 for example)

Images to be cited:  Fig. 2.1:  Name of image, place (e.g. Boston), museum for example name (Source: soandso.com, 2012)

When mentioning figure numbers in body text put in brackets, e.g. ‘(Figure 5) refers to…’

Captions: (for example referring to benefits of subject matter can be contained in a box of different colour to provide reader interest)

For each new subheading, new figure numbers must be begun.  E.g. If we have already reached fig. 3.4 (that is figure 3, sub 4) under subheading 2 (with sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc), then we start a new subheading 3.1, the illustration figure number will be ‘figure 4’.

Page numbers must be included on all pages

Where illustrations are used to support the same argument, label as 3.2a and 3.2b (for example) as opposed to 3 and 4.

Each section should have introductory sentences to that section, as well as then addressing keywords and defining any terms.

Penultimate section: on what made me choose this topic.

Final section: Conclusion

Bibliography also in sections:

References

Date in brackets.

Web Sources (including all accessed dates)

List of Illustrations arranged by setting out the figure number first, for example:

Fig. 2.1b: Name (date) Title etc…

Turnitin Originality report: at the end of essay

Similarity index:

·         blue (no matching words)

·         green (one matching word - 24% similarity index)

·         yellow (25-49% similarity index)

·         orange (50-74% similarity index)

·         red (75-100% similarity index)

Sample essay for this activity showed a 21% similarity index.  This means the percentage of text which matches [best] sources in the Turnitin database.  The percentage number (colour coded as per above) for each section of the text where a match is found will show what percentage of the paper matches that source (e.g. 2%).  Clicking on this percentage will open up a box which displays the matching source within its context.