Do I need to rewrite the whole paper if the score is high?

Not always. The better approach is to locate the highest-overlap areas first and determine whether the issue is citation, terminology, or structure.

Is simple synonym replacement useless?

It can help with very minor local overlap, but structural and argumentative repetition usually require deeper revision than word replacement.

What is easiest to damage during similarity reduction?

The most fragile parts are the logic of the argument, terminology precision, and citation integrity, so manual review is still necessary afterward.

High Similarity Revision Guide

How to Fix a High Similarity Score | Diagnose the Type of Overlap Before Rewriting

This guide helps you fix a high similarity score by separating citation issues, terminology overlap, and structural repetition before deciding what actually needs rewriting.

Open the reduction page Understand the similarity logic first

What this page helps you do first

Diagnose the overlap type before deciding how much to rewrite
Useful after CNKI or other similarity reports return
Connects to the reduction page, similarity-principle guide, and standards page

The worst first reaction is mechanical synonym swapping

Many users try to replace words immediately after seeing a high-similarity report, but if the problem comes from structure, quotation handling, or argumentative order, that rarely solves the real issue.

A stronger strategy is to diagnose the overlap type first and then choose the right revision depth.

Split the overlapping passages into four types first

Similarity caused by citation-format problems
Similarity caused by technical terms or fixed definitions
Similarity caused by structural or argumentative repetition
Similarity caused by insufficiently rewritten source-based paragraphs

A safer revision order

Mark the terms that must remain precise
Fix citation and reference alignment next
Rewrite the heavily repeated paragraph structure last

Best companion pages

If you already have the report, read the similarity-principle guide first to identify the overlap type, and then move into the reduction page instead of editing blindly.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to rewrite the whole paper if the score is high?: Not always. The better approach is to locate the highest-overlap areas first and determine whether the issue is citation, terminology, or structure.
Is simple synonym replacement useless?: It can help with very minor local overlap, but structural and argumentative repetition usually require deeper revision than word replacement.
What is easiest to damage during similarity reduction?: The most fragile parts are the logic of the argument, terminology precision, and citation integrity, so manual review is still necessary afterward.

Visit the reduction page Read the similarity-principle guide Return to the help center