HOW IS THE THESIS SIMILARITY CHECK PROCESS CONDUCTED?
Graduation applications are completed within 5 working days after the online application. This process includes both the verification of graduation publication requirements and the similarity check (Similarity Report of Your Thesis Submitted to the Jury). You can monitor the status of your application and your similarity rate through the system. If there is any issue with your similarity rate or publications, you will be contacted via e-mail.
(If your graduation application has been approved and you have received a confirmation e-mail, this means that there is no problem with your similarity report.)
The only thing students need to do regarding similarity control is to upload the PDF version of their thesis to the TURNITIN system after following the instructions below. (Theses that do not comply with the following requirements cannot be processed for similarity check.)
General Rules
1. Theses must be uploaded in .pdf format to the relevant section of the system corresponding to the graduation term, once for each of the following categories (unless a re-upload is required):
Thesis Submitted to the Jury (Jüriye sunulan tez)
Thesis Accepted in the Defense Exam (Savunma sınavında kabul edilen tez
Do not upload a file unless you are sure it is the correct version. Uploaded files cannot be deleted.
2. The PDF file name must follow this format:
StudentName-Surname-Department-ThesisStatus
For Example:
* For the first plagiarism check: Name-Surname ComputerEng-Jüriye Sunulan Tez
* For the final plagiarism check: Name-Surname Mathematics-Savunma Sınavında Kabul Edilen Tez
3. For Turkish theses, remove the section before the Özet (Abstract in Turkish);
for English theses, remove the section before the Abstract;
also remove the References section and the Publications Produced from the Thesis section.
4. For large files (over 100 MB), images/figures should be deleted.
5. For the similarity report to be valid and accepted by the supervisor and jury:
* If the evaluation excludes quotations, the similarity index must not exceed 15%.
* If the evaluation includes quotations, the similarity index must not exceed 20%.
* The single-source similarity rate must not exceed 2%.
The student and the supervisor are fully responsible for ensuring these limits are met.
Theses exceeding these thresholds will not be accepted for defense.
When calculating similarity, publications derived from the thesis are excluded.
Creating a TURNITIN Account and Uploading the Thesis
You can find the Class ID and Enrollment Key required for your account creation in the e-mails titled:
“YTU, Graduate School of Science and Engineering – Regarding Your Graduation Application”
“YTU, Graduate School of Science and Engineering – Your Graduation Application Approved by Your Supervisor"
Please refer to the TURNITIN User Account Creation and Thesis Upload Guide for detailed instructions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAGIARISM CHECK PROCESS
Q: I cannot see the assignment for my term in the Turnitin system.
If you already have a Turnitin account and need to upload to a newly created class, click Enroll in a class to access the class corresponding to your term.
Q: How many times and when should the plagiarism checks be performed?
The process must be done twice — the Initial Plagiarism Check and the Final Plagiarism Check.
Please consult the **Flowcharts** and **Graduation Calendar** for specific dates.
Q: How can I know if my thesis similarity rate is acceptable?
If your thesis is within the acceptable limits, you will not receive any additional notification.
You can check your similarity percentage and report through your Turnitin account.
Q: When should I re-upload my thesis?
If your total similarity rate exceeds 20% or your single-source rate exceeds 2%, make the necessary revisions and re-upload your thesis.
If the Graduate School requests changes (e.g., table adjustments, additions), you must re-upload your file.
Otherwise, do not upload again under any circumstances.
Q: Do I need to submit the plagiarism report anywhere?
No. Students are not required to submit the report. The plagiarism check is conducted by the Graduate School, and the report is delivered to the relevant staff.
However, your supervisor may ask to see your Turnitin similarity report before confirming that the similarity rate is within acceptable limits. In that case, you may present the report you can view on your Turnitin account.
Q: Can I edit or use the report I see on the system?
No. The only valid report is the one generated by the Graduate School. The report you can see is for informational purposes only.
Q: What should I do if there is similarity between my thesis and my own publications?
If your total similarity rate exceeds 20% or single-source similarity exceeds 2%, the Graduate School will check whether the similar sources are publications derived from your thesis and exclude them if applicable.