If you’re a student using Turnitin to submit assignments, chances are you’ve received a Class ID and an Enrollment Key from your instructor. These allow you to join a class on Turnitin and upload your papers.
But here’s something many students don’t know: not all Turnitin accounts are the same. Some accounts are set to store your paper in Turnitin’s repository, while others are non-repository. This small difference can have big consequences.
What Is the Turnitin Repository?
When a paper is submitted to a repository account, it gets stored in Turnitin’s global database. This means:
- Future submissions of the same paper (even by you) will be flagged as 100% similar.
- Your work becomes part of Turnitin’s database for plagiarism checks.
This is useful for academic honesty, but it can cause problems if you want to reuse your own work (for example, submitting a draft and then a final version).
What Is a Non-Repository Account?
With a non-repository account:
- Your paper is checked against Turnitin’s databases, but it is not stored.
- Once checked, the file is not kept in Turnitin’s system.
- This avoids issues with accidental “self-plagiarism.”
Non-repository accounts are often used by institutions for draft submissions or by students who want to check their work before submitting the final version.
Why You Should Be Careful
If you use a repository account when you only wanted to check your draft:
- Your draft will be stored permanently.
- When you submit your final version, Turnitin may flag it as copied from your own earlier draft.
- This can lead to confusion, extra work for you, and unnecessary explanations to your instructor.
How to Protect Yourself
- Ask Your Instructor: Before submitting, check if your class uses a repository or non-repository setting.
- Use Non-Repository for Drafts: If possible, upload drafts only to a non-repository account.
- Final Submission in Repository: For final assignments, repository storage is fine (and usually required).
- Don’t Share Class IDs Online: Many websites and forums share Turnitin Class IDs and Keys. Be careful—using these without permission can cause academic misconduct issues.
In short
Turnitin is a powerful tool for promoting originality, but not all accounts work the same way.
- Repository accounts store your work permanently.
- Non-repository accounts let you check your text without saving it.
The best practice: use non-repository accounts for drafts, and repository accounts for final submissions. Always confirm with your instructor which type you are using before uploading your paper.
