Introduction
For many Indian PhD candidates, especially those pursuing a doctorate in private universities alongside full-time work, Turnitin reports can be both a relief and a source of anxiety. While a low similarity score suggests originality, a deeper look sometimes reveals overlapping sources—instances where the same sentence or phrase matches multiple publications. This can leave students confused about which source to cite, how to correct it, or whether the overlap will be viewed as plagiarism.
During doctoral admission in India, universities often provide orientation sessions on plagiarism, but overlapping matches are rarely discussed in detail. This creates uncertainty during thesis submission, particularly when Turnitin highlights a phrase as matching more than one published work. Understanding why this happens and how to address it is essential for keeping the thesis within UGC’s plagiarism threshold while maintaining academic integrity.
Why Overlapping Sources Appear in Similarity Reports
Turnitin and similar tools scan vast databases of journal articles, theses, and online content. When the same idea or phrasing appears in multiple sources, the software flags it against each one. This is common in academic writing because certain technical terms, theoretical phrases, and standard definitions are used across multiple works.
For example, in a thesis on supply chain management, the phrase “the efficient movement of goods from supplier to customer” might appear in hundreds of articles. Even if you read and paraphrase from one original source, Turnitin might match it to several others. In such cases, the challenge is not that the content is necessarily plagiarised, but that the similarity report makes it look like it is.
Practical Strategies for Fixing Overlapping Matches
The first step is to identify whether the overlap comes from a standard phrase or from unique content. Standard terms, like “climate change adaptation strategies” or “gross domestic product,” do not usually require rewording. However, if an entire sentence or definition is matching across multiple works, it is safer to paraphrase it fully in your own style and cite the original source you actually used.
Another strategy is source prioritisation. If Turnitin shows a match with multiple articles, choose the most authoritative or directly relevant source to cite, rather than citing all matches. This helps clarify your research base and reduces confusion for evaluators. For example, if a theoretical concept appears in both a journal article and a conference paper, citing the peer-reviewed journal is generally the stronger choice.
Where the overlap is due to block citations or direct quotes, ensure proper formatting and attribution. Even though Turnitin will still flag the text, evaluators can see that it is correctly quoted and cited, reducing concerns about plagiarism.
Avoiding Misinterpretation by Evaluators
One of the lesser-known challenges in Indian PhD evaluation is that similarity reports are sometimes reviewed without detailed discussion between the scholar and supervisor. This can lead to misunderstandings if overlapping matches are left unexplained. To prevent this, scholars can prepare a short note during submission explaining the reason for certain overlaps—for instance, common technical terminology or correctly quoted material.
Paraphrasing with care also helps avoid unnecessary overlap. Instead of slightly altering the sentence structure, reframe the idea in a way that reflects your understanding and research context. For example, instead of writing “The efficient movement of goods from supplier to customer is critical for business success,” you might write, “A business’s competitiveness often depends on how smoothly products are delivered from their source to the end-user,” followed by a citation.
Indian Academic Considerations
In India’s private university system, where doctoral scholars often come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, the issue of overlapping sources is particularly relevant. Engineering theses, for instance, tend to have more technical overlaps due to standardised terminology, while social science theses might encounter overlaps in widely used conceptual frameworks.
Some universities adjust Turnitin’s settings to exclude small matches, bibliography entries, and quoted material from the similarity score. However, not all do this consistently. This makes it even more important for scholars to understand overlapping sources and address them proactively.
Mid-career professionals returning to academia may also find themselves reusing terms or phrasing from their industry experience that coincidentally match published works. While such overlaps are unintentional, they should still be checked and, if necessary, rephrased to maintain originality in the academic sense.
Conclusion
Overlapping sources in Turnitin are not always a sign of plagiarism, but they do require careful handling to avoid misunderstandings during thesis evaluation. By identifying the nature of the match, paraphrasing unique content, prioritising authoritative sources, and clearly attributing quotes, PhD scholars in India can keep their similarity scores accurate and defensible. In the end, the goal is not only to meet a numerical threshold but to produce research that stands confidently on its own scholarly voice.