Struggling to figure out if Turnitin counts words in tables? This is a common question for students working on assignments. Turnitin’s word count differs from tools like Microsoft Word or PDF documents.

In this post, I’ll explain how it works and what you need to know. Keep reading—this could save you some trouble!

Key Takeaways

• Turnitin does not count words inside tables, footnotes, endnotes, or text boxes in its word count.
• Only plain text is included in Turnitin’s word count; formatted elements like headers and footers are exceptions.
• University policies may differ; always check guidelines to avoid issues with low word counts or missed limits.
• Differences between Turnitin and tools like MS Word can cause confusion; for example, URLs are split into multiple words by Turnitin.
• Institutions like UCL and Brighton recommend clear communication about these rules to ensure fair grading.

Does Turnitin Count Words in Tables?

Turnitin does not count words inside tables. Its algorithm skips text embedded in table formats, much like it excludes content in footnotes, endnotes, and text boxes. A key difference exists compared to tools like MS Word or a PDF document reader that might include such words in their counts.

Only plain text gets picked up by Turnitin for word counting.

If your assignment heavily relies on data within tables, this can cause a lower word count on the similarity report. To avoid issues with low submissions or incorrect word limits, check university policies before relying solely on Turnitin’s feedback studio system for accuracy.

Understanding Turnitin’s Word Count Mechanism

Turnitin focuses on plain text for its word count. It skips fancy formatting, so tables might be ignored depending on the document type.

Exclusions in word count: footnotes, endnotes, text boxes

Some parts of your document may not be counted in Turnitin’s word tally. It uses specific rules to decide what text gets included or ignored.

• Footnotes and endnotes are left out. For example, a Word document with 2097 total words (1983 excluding footnotes) will show 1983 words in Turnitin.
• Text boxes get excluded too. Submissions entirely in text boxes could raise issues, like showing an extremely low word count.
• Only plain text outside these areas is part of the count. This applies whether it’s a Word or PDF document.
• A PDF file might slightly increase the word count compared to the original due to formatting differences—like adding 72 extra words in one case.

Inclusion of plain text only

Turnitin only counts plain text. It skips formatted elements like footnotes, endnotes, or text boxes in its word count. For example, if a table is part of a document but exists as an image or complex format, Turnitin ignores that content.

Plain text from headers and footers in PDF documents gets included. Submitting within the original file’s word limit is critical to avoid issues with academic submissions. URLs are split into multiple words by Turnitin’s system, unlike in Word where they’re treated as one word.

Impact of Turnitin’s Word Count Policy

Turnitin’s word count rules can change how students prepare their papers. Missing out on these details might lead to surprises in meeting the word limit.

Implications for academic submissions

Exceeding the word limit can stress students, especially if Turnitin’s count differs. Words in tables may cause confusion since they often aren’t part of the tool’s official count.

Educators should clarify these quirks before submissions to avoid surprises. Institutions like Royal Holloway and UCL have noted discrepancies in student work due to such issues. Markers face extra steps because Turnitin doesn’t show exact counts easily, requiring downloads of Word or PDF documents for accuracy.

Markers need to verify borderline cases by checking file formats like a Word document or pdf format directly. Spot-checking on Feedback Studio helps but isn’t foolproof for grading fairness.

Universities including Brighton suggest taking care with Turnitin LTI tools during assessments. Clear communication about text boxes, footnotes, and endnotes being excluded prevents headaches later on.

Next up: exploring table text within Turnitin’s mechanism itself!

Conclusion

Tables in Turnitin can be tricky. Words inside them? They don’t count toward the total. This might affect your word limit or similarity report. Always double-check your original document before submitting.

Better safe than sorry!

For an in-depth comparison of plagiarism detection tools, check out our article on Turnitin vs Grammarly.