Our students must complete the following steps regarding their thesis files in full.
1. Theses must be in PDF format and uploaded to the system only once on the specified dates—once for the initial plagiarism check and once for the final plagiarism check. Once uploaded, the file cannot be deleted.
2. The PDF file must be named as follows: “First Name Last Name_Department_Initial/Final Check_Master’s/PhD.”
For example:
For the initial plagiarism check: Ahmet-Yilmaz_Advanced-Energy-Technologies_Initial-Check_YL.
For the final plagiarism check: Ahmet-Yilmaz_Advanced-Energy-Technologies_Final-Check_DR.
3. For theses in Turkish, all sections preceding the “Özet” section, and for theses in English, all sections preceding the “Abstract” section, as well as the “References” and “Publications Derived from the Thesis” sections, must be removed.
4. Images (figures) must be removed from thesis files larger than 100 MB.
5. For the thesis to be evaluated by the advisor and committee members as free of plagiarism, the similarity rate indicated in the report generated by the Turnitin Plagiarism Detection Program must not exceed 15% if the evaluation is “excluding citations,” the similarity rate must not exceed 15%; if evaluated “including citations,” it must not exceed 20%; and the rate of reliance on a single source must not exceed 2%. When calculating the similarity rate, any publications the student has authored related to the thesis are excluded. Full responsibility for the similarity rate lies with the student and the advisor. Theses that do not meet these rates will not be accepted for the thesis defense.
After ensuring compliance with all the provisions listed above, the student uploads their thesis to the Turnitin system.
Click here for the guide on creating a Turnitin user account and uploading your thesis. The “Class Number” and “Class Registration Key” required to create an account are found in will be communicated to the student via emails titled “YTU, Institute of Clean Energy Technologies: Regarding Your Graduation Application” and “YTU, Institute of Clean Energy Technologies: Your Graduation Application Has Been Approved by Your Advisor.”
Frequently Asked Questions and Issues Regarding Plagiarism Checks
QUESTION: I cannot view the assignment for the relevant term in the Turnitin system. What should I do?
If you are already registered in the Turnitin system and need to upload an assignment to a newly opened class, you can click “Enroll in a Class” to view the class where your assignment (for your term) is located.
QUESTION: How many times and when should plagiarism checks be performed?
Plagiarism checks are performed twice: the Initial Plagiarism Check and the Final Plagiarism Check. For information on when these checks must be completed, please review our Flowcharts and Graduation Calendar.
QUESTION: How do I find out if my thesis’s plagiarism rate is within the acceptable range?
If your thesis’s plagiarism rate is within the acceptable range, no additional notification email or message will be sent. You can also view your similarity percentage and report through your account.
QUESTION: When should I re-upload my thesis to the system?
If your thesis’s total similarity rate is 20% or higher, or if the similarity rate from a single source is 2% or higher, please make the necessary corrections to your thesis and re-upload it.
If the Institute has indicated that various changes (such as rearranging tables or adding tables, etc.) need to be made to your thesis, please re-upload it.
Otherwise, DO NOT re-upload under any circumstances.
QUESTION: After the plagiarism check, do I need to obtain the report and submit it anywhere?
No, at this stage, there is no action required on the part of our students. The plagiarism check is conducted by our institute, and the report is submitted to the relevant official.
However, your advisor may request your plagiarism report from the system before providing a statement confirming that the similarity rate with other sources in your thesis is within the relevant limits. In this case, you can present the similarity report—which you can also view via Turnitin—to your advisor.
QUESTION: Can I edit or use the report I view in the system?
No, the valid report is generated by the Institute. The portion viewed by the student is for informational purposes only.
QUESTION: What should I do if there is similarity with publications I have produced as part of my thesis?
If, during the review of your similarity report, it is determined that your use of a single source exceeds 2% or the total similarity rate exceeds 20%, the Institute will verify whether these sources are publications produced as part of your thesis and, if so, remove them from the sources.