Why can't I submit?

Frequent issues and resolutions

Is your file the correct file type?

Turnitin will only support certain file types. Make sure that your file is one of the following:
  • Word Document (.docx)
  • PDF (.pdf) this must be a selectable text document not a scanned document
  • Open Office Document (.odt)
  • Rich text format (.rtf)

For more information about the file types that are supported by Turnitin visit - https://workspace.nottingham.ac.uk/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=225968886

Is your file under 20mb?

Turnitin has a file limit of 20mb per submission. If your file is above this, Turnitin will reject your file or you will not be able to submit it properly. If your file is more than 20mb, save the file as a PDF and compress it.

Unsure how to compress your file?

Check out our guide on how to compress your file

Are you including characters such as /: ; ? !

When you are uploading your submission, you will be required to input a name foryour submission. You must make sure that you only use letters, numbers, commas and full stops in this field. 

If you include any non-alphanumeric characters, such as acolon (:) a forward slash (/) or a questionmark (?) this may cause your submission not to upload correctly.

Please remove any of the above mentioned characters from the title of your submission and attempt to upload again.

Are you trying to submit more than one file?

Each Turnitin dropbox will only let you upload one document. Some dropboxes have multiple parts, for this dropboxes you will be able to upload one document per part.

It is easy to tell if your dropbox has multiple parts, as there will be a tab towards the top of the submission page

Please make sure that you select the correct tab before uploading your file.

Is your file name very long?

Turnitin will not accept file names that are longer than 40 characters (including spaces), you will need to remame your file to be less than 40 characters.

Please make sure that the submission title that you input is also under 40 characters long (including spaces) you will need input a shorter title and then try to submit again..

Are you submitting very close to the dropbox close (deadline)?

It is recommended that you submit your assignment to the dropbox approximately 24 hours before the assignment deadline. If this is not possible, it is advisable to submit your assignment with plenty of time before the dropbox close time.

If you are trying to submit with minutes to the dropbox close time, your submission may not fully upload, this is because it needs to be processed by Turnitin before the close of the dropbox. 

Please note: All assignment dropboxes close at 4pm on the deadline day. If you are unsure of the deadline date, this is the "Due Date" shown at the top of the relevant Turnitin dropbox page (shown below)