Antiplagiarism in articles

In detail

One of the most common myths among authors is that there is a universal acceptable percentage of overlap. In practice, this is not true.

Editors look not just at the number but at

• where exactly the overlaps were found;
• which fragments match;
• whether they are quotations, conventional phrases, or actual copying;
• how much the overlaps affect the originality of the text.

For example

• repeated technical wording in methods may not be a serious problem;
• large matching chunks in the introduction, discussion, or conclusions raise concerns.

What journals use

• iThenticate;
• Crossref Similarity Check.

But it is important to understand: a tool detects overlaps, it does not make the final ethical judgment. The decision always remains with the editorial office.

What matters for the author

• a high percentage does not always mean plagiarism;
• a low percentage does not always mean safety;
• both the number and the content matter;
• it is better to check the text in advance and format quotations carefully.

What is important to remember

Antiplagiarism is not a game of percentages, but an assessment of how genuinely original and properly presented a text is.