Direct answer
Direct Answer - Yes, professors can see previous Turnitin submissions, but the extent of what they can access depends on the assignment settings, course enrollment, and repository configuration. When a student submits a paper, it is stored in the Turnitin repository database. Instructors for that specific course can view the submission history, including drafts and final versions, through the assignment inbox [1]. However, an instructor from a different course generally cannot see a student's paper from another class unless they actively search the institutional repository or the student has submitted to an assignment that compares submissions against the full database [1][3]. The primary purpose of this visibility is to detect similarity matches — including self-plagiarism — when future submissions are checked.
What Can Instructors See in a Turnitin Submission Report?
When an instructor opens a student's submission, the first thing they see is the Similarity Report, which displays an overall percentage score alongside a color-coded breakdown of matched text [2]. This report highlights every sentence or phrase that matches content in the Turnitin database, including published journals, web pages, and previously submitted student papers. Instructors can click on any highlighted section to view the original source material side by side with the student's text [2].
In addition to the similarity score, many institutions have enabled Turnitin's AI writing detection feature. This generates a separate AI indicator that estimates what percentage of the submission was likely written by a generative AI tool [2]. Instructors see this as an additional flag — a percentage score and highlighted passages — alongside the traditional similarity results. The report does not make an accusation; it simply presents the data and leaves the interpretation to the instructor.
Beyond the numerical scores, instructors also have access to the full submission metadata, including the file name, submission date and time, word count, and any resubmission history [2]. This means if a student uploaded multiple drafts, the instructor can see a timeline of revisions. For assignments configured to accept resubmissions, each version overwrites or adds to the history, and the instructor can view the evolution of the paper.
Can Professors Access Old Turnitin Submissions from Previous Semesters?
The short answer is: it depends on the repository configuration. When a student submits a paper, it is archived in Turnitin's student paper repository — a massive database that includes submissions from thousands of institutions worldwide [3]. By default, every submission is stored and used as a comparison source for future submissions. This means that a paper submitted in Fall 2023 will be matched against a new submission in Spring 2024, and the instructor of the new course will see a similarity flag pointing back to the old paper [3].
However, whether the instructor can actively open and read the old submission depends on their access privileges. Instructors can view submission history for assignments they oversee, but they cannot browse papers submitted to other instructors' courses without specific permission [1]. The old paper appears as a similarity source — the new instructor sees a match with a percentage and the source labeled as "student paper" — but they may or may not be able to view the full text of the prior submission, depending on their institution's repository settings [3].
This mechanism is fundamental to Turnitin's plagiarism detection design. It is why resubmitting a paper — or submitting a significantly similar paper — to a different course can trigger a self-plagiarism flag [3]. The system does not "forget" old submissions. Even if the student believes the previous submission is no longer relevant, the repository retains it as a reference for future similarity checks.
How Can You Check Your Turnitin Report Before Your Professor Does?
Some institutions allow students to preview their Similarity Report before the final submission deadline. If the instructor enables draft mode in the assignment settings, students can upload their work and view the similarity percentage and match highlights before the official due date [4]. This feature is available when the assignment is configured to generate reports immediately on each draft submission. However, not all instructors enable this option — many prefer to keep the report hidden until after grading to encourage original work and discourage iterative "patchwriting" to lower scores [4].
When institutional previews are not available, students have another option: using a Turnitin report preview service like Turnitin0. These services generate the same similarity and AI writing reports that instructors see through their institutional systems, but the student receives them before submitting to the class. This allows you to check your similarity percentage, review flagged matches, and see the AI detection score in advance — giving you the opportunity to revise flagged sections before the instructor ever sees the report.
Previewing your report proactively is the most reliable way to avoid surprises. Whether you are worried about unintentional similarity, self-plagiarism from previous submissions, or AI detection flags, checking your own report first puts you in control. You can then address any issues — rewrite matched passages, cite sources properly, or humanize AI-generated text — before it reaches your professor's inbox.
Turnitin0 gives you the clearest picture of what your professor will see — the same similarity score, AI detection result, and match breakdown that appears in the institutional system — delivered before your official deadline. With over 100,000 reports delivered to 20,000+ students worldwide and a 4.9/5.0 satisfaction rating, you can check your work with confidence.
※ Turnitin0.com - Actual Turnitin AI Report Cover, Score, Flag And Similarity Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does resubmitting a paper to the same assignment keep old versions visible?
Yes. When an instructor configures an assignment to allow resubmissions, each version is tracked. Depending on the settings, either the final submission replaces earlier drafts or the instructor can view the full submission history, including timestamps and content changes [1].
2. Can my professor see my Turnitin report from a different university?
It depends on the repository type. If the previous institution used the standard Turnitin repository (the global database), the paper is stored and will match against future submissions anywhere. The new instructor will see a similarity flag but may not be able to open and read the full old paper unless their institution has cross-repository access privileges [3].
3. If I delete my submission from the assignment, is it gone from Turnitin?
No. Even if a student removes a draft or the instructor deletes it from the assignment inbox, the paper typically remains in the Turnitin repository database if it was already processed. Deletion from an assignment does not remove it from the global comparison database [3].
4. Can I see my own Turnitin report before my professor grades it?
Some institutions allow previews if the instructor has enabled draft mode with immediate report generation [4]. If this option is not available, you can use a third-party Turnitin report service like Turnitin0 to obtain the same similarity and AI detection report before submitting to your class [4].
5. Does Turnitin store papers indefinitely?
Yes. Turnitin stores papers in its repository database for the long term, and they remain active as comparison sources for future submissions. There is no automatic expiry or deletion window for processed submissions [3].