How to Interpret Originality Report (Guidelines)

1.                Similarity index of the originality report is showing matches of submitted work with internet content. It is not verdict that document with high similarity index is plagiarized.

2.                Similarity index is based on percentage of matched text out of total number of words in the document.

3.                Instructor/Faculty member has to verify each and every similarity index for potential clue of plagiarism.

4.                If similarities in the document are significant then scholar/student may be guided accordingly or case may be reported on the basis of that evidence.

5.                The similarities in the document may contain matches with author's previous work; it may be ignored if it is the same work.

6.                  Bibliography and quoted material may be excluded after verifying. It is important to note that too much quoted material is not desired as per policy.

7.                Common phrases and proper nouns also appear as similarities in the report, therefore every instructor/faculty member should ignore matches returned from them.

8.                Originality report will show similarities from three major sources: internet, periodicals and student repository. Similarities returned from student repository may be ignored if it is author's own same work. Similarities from Student repository helps in detecting collusion in the documents.

9.                The graphs, tables, formulae and other pictorial material is not matched through the service therefore, it will only offer similarities with only text.

10.          The instructor/faculty member supervising students/scholars can give verdict of plagiarism after interpreting report. The report will be used as evidence of the report.

From the HEC website.