Answers

There isn't a maximum number as such, although the higher your score, the less 'original' your work is.

Your Turnitin or Draft Coach score refers to similarity rather than plagiarism and therefore cannot be used by itself to determine if there is plagiarism in your work.

Generally speaking, if you have paraphrased your sources adequately and provided in-text citations to show your sources, as well as a reference list at the end of your work, then you should not be concerned about plagiarism. 

However, Turnitin or Draft Coach can show you where you have not paraphrased adequately.

Your Turnitin or Draft Coach report will highlight parts of your work that still have a high similarity to the original source. If you find that large parts of your sentences or paragraphs are highlighted, then this is an indication that you should rework those parts to paraphrase more effectively. 

If the report only highlights elements like your headings and cover page, then you should not be concerned. 

If you have quoted something directly, Turnitin may still have highlighted the quote and added it into your score, however this is not an example of plagiarism as long as you have used quotation marks and also provided the citation and reference.

This short video provides more detail on how to understand your Turnitin report: 

If you would like more help understanding Turnitin or Draft Coach, book an academic skills appointment or email our team at AcademicSkills@arden.ac.uk