How to request to see another paper

When viewing the Similarity Report in Turnitin you may see a match to another student’s paper that you do not have access to view. This has been submitted to either:

• A different Turnitin assignment at the University of Reading, on a Blackboard course you are not an enrolled on with a teaching role,
• Or, at different UK educational institution that uses Turnitin.

Make careful consideration before issuing a request and use this option sparingly. Ideally, you should only make requests where you find a significant single match to another paper (over 25%) that cannot be explained. It is unlikely that a request, especially to another institution, will be accepted if it is only a small match.

If you click on the match in the Match Overview, a pop-up message appears next to the match on the paper, stating that you cannot see this work to protect Intellectual Property Rights.

Turnitin paper match – paper submitted at another university

Turnitin paper match – submitted to another University of Reading module on which you’re not enrolled

To request to view a copy of the paper to check that match, click on the ‘Submitted to University of xxxxx‘ link in the pop-up box.

This opens a window where you can enter your email address to request a copy of the paper is sent to you via email. (Please enter your University email address.) Click the ‘Send a request to view this paper‘ button.

Note: A member of staff at the institution where the paper was submitted and who has access to the assignment in Turnitin will need to decide whether to agree to the request. If your request is accepted, the full text of the student’s paper is included in an email reply sent directly to you.

When you receive the email, you can read the student’s work and assess it against the match made in the similarity report to help determine any possible academic misconduct.

What do I do if I receive a paper view request?

There are official guidelines you need to follow to meet data protection and copyright requirements. See: How to handle Turnitin paper view requests.

Page last updated on March 25, 2022 by andyturner