Large scores in similarity in writing research papers pose a lot of pressure to the research writers, even when the research is entirely original and sound in ethical conduct. Turnitin, iThenticate, and publisher plagiarism detectors, and similar tools, are integrated into the academic submission process and the journal submission process. When scoring above 15-20% (excluding references and quoted text), it is likely to result in delays, substantial revisions, ethical inquiries or complete rejection, even in the absence of any deliberate plagiarism. By 2026, AI-aided screening and publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, Sage, Frontiers, IEEE, ACS, and MDPI will require an awareness of the valid reasons behind high similarity.
The guide elaborates on the most common non-malicious causes of high similarity percentages and provides effective strategies to minimise them. Fast Publications offers professional Plagiarism-and-Similarity report checks and manuscript writing services to assist researchers in submitting clean and original papers with confidence.
Self-Plagiarism (Duplicate Publication and Text Reuse)
One of the most widespread valid reasons for high similarity in research papers is self-plagiarism using large chunks of one’s own prior published work without referencing.
Typical scenarios:
- Direct copying of methodology sections of a PhD thesis, a conference paper, a technical report, and so on.
- Reproduction of big sections of the literature review, introduction, or background of previous papers or grant proposals.
- Posting a markedly similar content to more than one journal at the same time (salami slicing, or duplicate publication).
Why it triggers high scores:
iThenticate and Turnitin have published literature, as well as your previous works, in their databases. Publishers consider self-plagiarism as an infringement of originality unless it is well stated in the cover letter and manuscript.
How to avoid:
- Paraphrasing and restructuring are a rewording of previously used text.
- Cite your preceding work directly: “The details of our preceding work show that [Reference] as we described them.
- The verbatim reuse that is longer than several words must be enclosed in quotation marks.
- Provide previous related work in the cover letter and manuscript.
Boilerplate / Standard Phrases Technical Section
Numerous parts of valid research papers consist of standard phrasing that is identical to existing literature.
Wide areas of similarity:
- Description of the methods (they were collected based on a Likert scale questionnaire with five-point responses).
- Statistical analysis (We used SPSS version 27 to conduct descriptive and inferential statistics).
- Conventional definitions or scales (Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness: The Big Five personality traits).
- Conventional ethical specimens (All participants gave informed consent to participate in the research).
- General transition sentences (The outcomes show that, this finding is consistent with what was done before, etc.).
Why does it happen?
Such phrases are very common and are found in published papers, and are incorporated into the detection database.
How to minimise:
- Auto paraphrase of normal text where feasible without sacrificing precision.
- Incorporate several sources into original sentences.
- Think wisely about the use of synonyms without forced and unnatural modifications.
- Strive to maintain similarity in boilerplate portions to less than 10-15% with minor changes in wording.
Inadequate Paraphrasing and Patch writing
One of the most common causes of high similarity in valid research papers is patch writing, or editing a few words or sentence structures of a source text.
Examples:
- Original: Global food security is at a big risk due to climate change brought about by changed rains.
- Patch written: “Climate change poses significant threats to global food security through altered rainfall distribution.
Why it triggers high scores:
Even slight modifications do not escape detection tools, since these generate near-verbatim matches.
Fixes:
- Read the source, close, and write in your own words, memorising it
- Reorganise whole sentences and paragraphs
- Find several sources to fit into a single original idea
- Provide your own critical analysis, interpretation or contextualisation of ideas cited
Excess in Direct Quotes and Attribution
Too many or inappropriately managed direct quotations result in a high level of similarity.
Common issues:
- Extended quoted materials that are not formatted in blocks and not cited
- Brief quotes that were not put in quotation marks
- Stated ideas are not referenced, even when paraphrased
How to avoid:
- Be economical with quotes; only use quotations where the accuracy of the words is crucial to your case.
- Cite quotations properly (indented, normally more than 40 words).
- Remember to reference all borrowed concepts, even in the form of paraphrases or summaries.
Shared Software, Tool, and Template Expressions
There is too much overlap in the range of writing tools and templates that produce similar output.
Examples:
- Grammarly or ChatGPT paraphrasing-similarity between users
- Standard statistical code descriptions (SPSS, R, Python code snippets)
- Generic descriptions of questionnaires or scale descriptions are provided in manuals
How to handle:
- Paraphrase the text that was produced by the tool completely in your own words
- Do not use boilerplate copied out of software manuals or templates
- Customise descriptions to your study
Typical Expressions in Introductions and Literature Reviews
The similarity of introductions and literature review can be very high due to the similarity of academic language.
Typical matches:
- The fast-growing pace of technology has changed…
- The research is filling the knowledge gap in the literature about…
- Correla studies made in the past have demonstrated that…
- Excessive use of transitory expressions such as: furthermore, addition, on the other hand.
How to reduce:
- Introductions come last, when the rest of the paper is clear.
- Change the sentence structure and vocabulary.
- Paragraph Synthesis: Read through a variety of sources and develop original paragraphs.
- Do not repeat typical filler phrases on templates.
The way Professional Editing Minimises Similarity
Similarity scores significantly decrease with the use of expert manuscript writing services.
Benefits:
- Subject experts’ professional paraphrasing
- Norming of terminology and language
- Detection and elimination of patch writing
- Adequate references and quotations
- Ultimate similarity check with iThenticate/ Turnitin
Quick Publication with Fast Publications
A high score in similarity will hold up or scuttle valid research papers. Fast Publications provides professional services in writing manuscripts:
- Paraphrasing and professional scientific editing
- We-check copies/ Turnitin/iThenticate
- Reference and citation correction
- Compliance check and manuscript formatting
- Advice on the ethical self-citation and originality
Conclusion
The great similarity of legal research papers is generally due to self-plagiarism, boilerplate writing, ineffective paraphrasing, common phrases, omission of reference, and content produced by a tool, not deliberate wrongdoing. Knowing these reasons and using careful writing, paraphrasing, citation, and professional editing, researchers can reach a clean Plagiarism image, and have a higher probability of passing.
Begin with originality and submit with confidence using expert manuscript writing services. Fast Publications can give the help you need to write a high-quality, original paper ready to be published.
