[LM_NET] Turnitin experiences?

[sandra carswell <sandracarswell@HOTMAIL.COM>]

I have an acquaintance who has an adult son trying to finish his bachelor's degree 
from an online university. They have returned his last research paper for the 
second time saying "Your similarity index is excessively high.  18% of that is 
probably from your earlier submission, so you would have about 60% now.  Generally 
I find that papers above 25-35% similarity index are not acceptable and can't be 
approved." 
 
I have not had any experience with Turnitin and had never seen a report like this.
 
The Turnitin report starts like this:
 
1  18% match (student papers from 11/09/06)
Submitted to Kennedy-Western University on 2006-11-09 

2  12% match (publications)Sunstrom, Philip C.. "Become the company's OSHA oracle. 
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) (Cover Story)", Security 
Management, March 1994 Issue 
 
Are the numbers the sources they found that match what he has in his paper? Are 
they corresponding to the colored text in his paper? 
 
What is he to do? Have any of you had any experience with this service and have you 
ever heard of it being not an exact science? (If that is the phrase that makes 
sense.) The acquaintance is asking for advice. The only thing I know is to say 
"re-write the paper."  Any other suggestions?Sandra Carswell, Librarian S.C. Lee 
Junior High School 1205 Courtney Lane Copperas Cove, TX  76522 254-542-7877 
sandracarswell@hotmail.com sandraca@ccisd.com
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