Why did Turnitin flag my direct quotes in a sociology literature review?

Turnitin flags direct quotations because the software treats any text that matches a source as a match, even when you’ve cited it correctly. In a literature review the goal isn’t to pile up block quotes; it’s to show that you understand the theories and can weave them into a coherent argument. So the high similarity score is less about plagiarism and more about the way the material is presented. Think of each paragraph as a mini‑argument that starts with your own claim, then uses the scholars’ ideas as evidence. Instead of dropping a 150‑word quote, read the passage, note the core point, and then restate it in your own terms, adding a brief citation. You can keep a short phrase or a key term in quotation marks if the wording is essential, but the surrounding sentences should be yours. For example, if you’re discussing Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital, you might write: “Bourdieu argues that cultural capital functions as a form of social currency, converting tastes and knowledge into advantages in education and the labor market (Bourdieu, 1986).” After that, you can critique or compare it with another theorist, which shows synthesis rather than stacking. A practical way to get the percentage down is to go through each block quote and ask: “What is the main idea here, and how does it relate to my thesis?” Then draft a sentence or two that captures that idea in your voice, cite the source, and only keep the original wording when a specific term or definition is unavoidable. As you rewrite, you’ll likely notice overlapping themes that you can merge, reducing redundancy. Once you’ve rephrased, run the draft through the similarity checker again; you should see the score drop as the software now matches only the necessary citations. By consistently framing each source as part of your own narrative, you’ll both lower the similarity index and produce a stronger, more original literature review.