How to read a research paper similarity report

Research resources · Quillify Publications · 22 October 2026

A similarity score is a starting point for reading, not an editorial decision. A paper with correctly quoted material can contain matches; a low score cannot establish that every idea is properly attributed. Read the highlighted passages alongside their sources.

Work through the report in five steps

1. Confirm the file. Record the manuscript filename, revision date and report date. A report for an earlier draft cannot describe passages added later.
2. Record the settings. Note whether quotations, references and small matches were excluded. Scores produced using different settings should not be treated as directly comparable.
3. Open the sources. Check that the displayed match refers to the actual source you consulted. A secondary website may reproduce an older original.
4. Review attribution. Look for quotation marks around exact wording and a citation for borrowed ideas, arguments and data. Check that citations resolve to the correct reference entries.
5. Keep a revision log. Record the passage, the source, your decision and the final revision. Recheck substantive changes where the journal requires a fresh report.

A worked example: changing words does not remove attribution

Imagine a source states: “Participants completed the task faster when instructions included an example.” Replacing this with “People finished more quickly when the directions contained a sample” closely follows the same finding. If your paper discusses that finding, cite its source. If the exact language matters, quote it accurately. If you paraphrase, explain the finding in your own reasoning and retain the citation. This is an invented teaching example, not a research result.

Which matches deserve attention?

Review long passages that track a single source, uncited definitions, copied methods descriptions and reused text from your own earlier work. Common technical phrases and bibliography entries require interpretation in context. Do not remove legitimate citations or manipulate spelling and characters to reduce a score.

Is there a universally safe percentage?

No single percentage substitutes for checking the text and the target journal's policy. Ask the editorial office when a requirement is unclear. Similarity checking and assessments of AI-generated writing also address different questions; one result cannot stand in for the other.

See the Turnitin, QuillBot and DrillBit guide, publication ethics and author guidelines.

Source

Turnitin's explanation of similarity scores distinguishes matching text from a determination of plagiarism.