Make use of Filters and Exclusions to refine a Similarity Report and hide any matches that are irrelevant to you.
In this guide:
Filters
Applying filters
Use filters to customize the report to display or hide certain matches and sources, depending on their relevance to your review. For example, switching the Bibliography filter to the "off" position will hide all matches found in the bibliography or list of references at the end of a submission.
- To view filtering options, select the Filters button located next to the overall similarity.
- Select a toggle next to the criteria to change the filter setting. All match criteria and databases are included by default, unless otherwise specified in assignment settings.
- Select Back to Similarity Report to view the overall similarity panel with the applied filters.
What does each filter do?
Include in Similarity Report
These filters customize the criteria for matches found and displayed. Changing these filters may or may not affect the overall similarity percentage.
- Bibliography - Hide or include any matches found in the bibliography, works cited, or list of references.
- Quotes - Turning this toggle to "off" will hide matches with quotation marks.
- Citations - Switching this toggle to “off” will hide matches with in-text citations.
- Small Matches - Turn this filter to the "on" position to customize the minimum word count for matching text blocks to eliminate irrelevant matches. For example, if you only want to see matches of 12 words or more, enter the number 12 in the Fewer than __ words field.
Search database
These filters represent source types, which are indicated in each source card.
- Internet - Turning this off will hide any matches to sources found on the internet, current and archived. We recommend leaving this in the “on” position since it’s the largest public database available.
- Publications - Choose whether to compare the submission to third party periodical, journal, and publication content including many major professional journals, periodicals, and business publications.
- Student papers - This filter allows you to hide or display matches found to submissions in Turnitin across institutions.
Exclusions
Exclude specific matches or sources to remove them from the report.
Excluding a match
- While in the Match Groups list, select a highlight in the document or a source card from the list.
- Choose the Exclude button on the document or in the source card.
Excluding a source
- Navigate to the Sources list.
- Select a highlight in the document to bring that source into focus in the right-side panel; or choose a source card from the list in the right-side panel.
- Choose the eye-shaped icon in the source card to exclude all matching text to that particular source from the report.
Viewing and modifying exclusions
Whenever exclusions are applied, the number of exclusions will appear directly beneath the overall similarity. Selecting this link will display the complete list of excluded items.
While viewing exclusions, you can choose to restore an individual match or source by selecting the associated eye-shaped icon. Or, you can restore an entire category of exclusions by choosing the Include All button for that category.
❗Applying filters and exclusions may or may not change the overall similarity percentage depending on several factors, such as overlapping sources for one match.