Introduction

For a DNB trainee, the thesis is not something that should be started only when the final submission deadline is approaching. A well-managed thesis journey begins with selecting a researchable topic, preparing a clear protocol, obtaining the necessary approvals, collecting reliable data, and documenting the research properly.

Two stages often require particular attention: DNB thesis protocol submission at the beginning of the research journey and originality checking when the final thesis is prepared.

The protocol determines how the research will be conducted, while the final thesis explains what was actually done, what was found, and how those findings relate to existing medical literature.

NBEMS provides dedicated resources for thesis protocol preparation and thesis writing/submission. Candidates should refer to the latest applicable NBEMS documents rather than relying on an old thesis format obtained from another candidate.

Another common concern is Turnitin similarity. A similarity report does not automatically establish plagiarism. Turnitin explains that the report identifies matching text, and legitimate material such as quotations and references can also contribute to similarity.

This guide explains the complete process in a practical manner, from protocol preparation to final thesis review, and how to reduce similarity on Turnitin through proper academic writing.

Table of Contents

1. What Is a DNB Thesis Protocol?
2. Why Is the Protocol Important?
3. DNB Thesis Protocol Submission Process
4. Important DNB Thesis Guidelines
5. How to Structure a Strong DNB Protocol
6. From Approved Protocol to Final Thesis
7. How to Write a Strong Literature Review
8. Understanding Turnitin Similarity
9. How to Reduce Similarity on Turnitin
10. Common Reasons for High Similarity
11. Mistakes to Avoid
12. Final DNB Thesis Checklist
13. Frequently Asked Questions
14. Conclusion

What Is a DNB Thesis Protocol?

A DNB thesis protocol is the research plan prepared before the main research work is undertaken.

It defines the central question of the study and explains how the candidate intends to answer that question.

A properly prepared protocol generally establishes:

• Research title
• Background of the study
• Research gap
• Rationale
• Aim
• Objectives
• Study design
• Study setting
• Study population
• Inclusion criteria
• Exclusion criteria
• Sample size
• Sampling method
• Variables
• Data collection procedure
• Statistical analysis
• Ethical considerations
• References

The protocol should not be treated as a formality. It becomes the foundation from which the subsequent research is developed.

If the protocol is unclear, the candidate may later face difficulty deciding what data should be collected, which outcomes should be analyzed, and how the findings should be presented.

Why Is the Protocol Important?

The biggest advantage of a good protocol is clarity.

Before collecting data, you should already know:

What am I studying?

Why am I studying it?

Who will be included?

What information will I collect?

How will I analyze it?

What outcome am I trying to measure?

If these questions are not clearly answered in the protocol, problems can appear later in the thesis.

For example, changing the primary objective after data collection may create methodological and statistical complications.

Therefore, spending additional time on the protocol can save substantial time during thesis writing.

DNB Thesis Protocol Submission Process

The exact submission procedure should always be checked against the current NBEMS instructions applicable to your course and thesis.

However, the overall workflow can be understood in stages.

Step 1: Select the Research Topic

Choose a topic that is:

• Clinically relevant
• Researchable within the available period
• Supported by an adequate patient/sample population
• Suitable for the available resources
• Narrow enough to be studied properly.

A topic that sounds impressive but cannot realistically be completed is not a good thesis topic.

Step 2: Conduct Preliminary Literature Review

Before writing the protocol, search the existing literature.

The purpose is not simply to collect references.

You need to understand:

• What is already known?
• What has already been studied?
• Which findings are inconsistent?
• What limitation exists in previous research?
• What question remains unanswered?

This helps establish the rationale for your research.

Step 3: Define the Research Question

The research question should be specific.

A broad topic is not necessarily a good research question.

Your question should allow you to identify:

• Population
• Exposure/intervention
• Comparator where applicable
• Outcome
• Relevant timeframe

The more precise the research question, the easier it becomes to develop measurable objectives.

Step 4: Prepare Aim and Objectives

The aim describes the overall purpose of the study.

Objectives break that purpose into measurable research tasks.

A common mistake is writing too many objectives.

More objectives do not automatically make a thesis stronger.

Instead, objectives should be realistic and directly connected to the methodology.

Step 5: Develop the Methodology

This is where the protocol becomes practically useful.

Clearly define:

Study Design

Specify whether the research is observational, experimental, prospective, retrospective, cross-sectional, or another appropriate design.

Study Population

Describe who will participate or whose records will be studied.

Inclusion Criteria

Specify which participants qualify for inclusion.

Exclusion Criteria

Specify who should not be included.

Sample Size

Explain how the required sample size has been determined.

Data Collection

Define what information will be collected and how it will be recorded.

Statistical Analysis

Specify how the collected data will be analyzed.

The statistical plan should not be added casually at the end of the protocol. It should be connected to the objectives and variables from the beginning.

Important DNB Thesis Guidelines

Understanding the DNB thesis guidelines before starting your final thesis can prevent avoidable revisions.

NBEMS publishes dedicated documents covering thesis writing and submission. These guidelines address areas such as thesis preparation, submission requirements, and associated documentation.

Some important principles include the following.

Keep the Research Consistent

The following should tell the same research story:

Title → Aim → Objectives → Methodology → Results → Discussion → Conclusion

If the title describes one outcome but the results focus on another, the thesis becomes difficult to defend academically.

Do Not Change the Meaning of the Approved Research Without Proper Consideration

Research evolves during implementation, but major methodological changes should not be made casually.

If circumstances require changes, the candidate should follow the appropriate institutional/NBEMS process rather than silently changing the study design in the final thesis.

Maintain Research Records

Keep important documents organized throughout the research period.

These may include:

• Ethical approval
• Study-related permissions
• Data collection records
• Statistical outputs
• Relevant correspondence
• Research instruments
• Patient/sample records as applicable
• Publication-related documents

Trying to reconstruct the research documentation at the end can be extremely difficult.

How to Structure a Strong DNB Protocol

A useful way to think about the protocol is as a chain of connected decisions.

Background

Explains the medical or scientific problem.

Research Gap

Explains what is not adequately answered by existing literature.

Rationale

Explains why your study is necessary.

Aim

States the broad purpose.

Objectives

Defines measurable research outcomes.

Methodology

Explains how the objectives will be investigated.

Statistical Plan

Explains how the collected information will be evaluated.

Expected Contribution

Explains what the study may add to existing knowledge.

If these sections are disconnected, the protocol will feel like a collection of separate paragraphs.

A strong protocol should instead read like one logical research argument.

From Approved Protocol to Final Thesis

Once the research begins, the protocol should remain a reference document.

However, the final thesis is not simply the protocol rewritten in the past tense.

The final thesis should report what actually happened.

This distinction matters.

The protocol may state what you planned to do.

The thesis explains what you actually did, what you found, and what those findings mean.

The final document should therefore include a proper presentation of:

• Existing literature
• Research methodology
• Results
• Statistical findings
• Interpretation
• Comparison with previous research
• Limitations
• Conclusions

How to Write a Strong Literature Review

The literature review is one of the sections where similarity problems commonly arise.

This happens because researchers often read several published papers and then reproduce their language too closely.

A better approach is to organize literature by ideas and findings, not simply paper-by-paper summaries.

Instead of creating a sequence like:

“Study A found…”

“Study B found…”

“Study C found…”

Look for relationships between studies.

Ask:

• Do the studies agree?
• Are the populations different?
• Are the methodologies different?
• Do the findings conflict?
• Have newer studies changed the understanding of the topic?
• What limitation remains?

This approach creates synthesis rather than copying.

Understanding Turnitin Similarity

Before discussing how to reduce similarity on Turnitin, it is important to understand what Turnitin is actually reporting.

A similarity report identifies text that corresponds with material available in the databases used for comparison.

It does not automatically determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

A match could result from:

• A properly cited statement
• A quotation
• A reference entry
• Common scientific terminology
• Standard methodological language
• Text from previously submitted academic material
• Uncited copied material

Therefore, the percentage shown on a report should be interpreted rather than blindly targeted.

The individual highlighted matches are more informative than the headline percentage alone.

How to Reduce Similarity on Turnitin

If your question is how to reduce similarity on Turnitin, focus on improving the originality and quality of your writing.

1. Understand the Source Before Writing

Do not write while continuously looking at the source sentence.

Read the material.

Understand the concept.

Close or move away from the source.

Then explain the concept using your own understanding.

Finally, check the source again to ensure that the scientific meaning has not changed.

2. Change the Structure, Not Just Individual Words

Poor paraphrasing looks like this:

Original sentence structure + synonym replacement = new sentence.

That is not strong academic writing.

A better approach is to reorganize the information.

You can change:

• Sentence structure
• Order of information
• Focus of the paragraph
• Relationship between findings
• The way the evidence is synthesized.

While preserving the scientific meaning and citing the source.

3. Combine Multiple Sources

Instead of relying heavily on one article, compare multiple relevant studies.

Then write a synthesis of their findings.

This is particularly useful in the literature review.

For instance, if several studies investigated the same clinical issue, your paragraph can discuss the overall evidence and explain where their findings agree or differ.

This makes the literature review more analytical and less dependent on copied wording.

4. Cite the Original Research

If an idea, result, statistic, or conclusion comes from another researcher, cite it.

Do not remove a citation simply because the cited sentence produces a similarity match.

Academic originality means presenting someone else’s work honestly and attributing it correctly.

5. Rewrite Repeated Background Statements

Medical theses sometimes repeat the same information in:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Discussion
• Conclusion

Some repetition is unavoidable, but excessive repetition can increase textual overlap and make the thesis less readable.

Each section should have a different purpose.

The introduction establishes the problem.

The literature review evaluates existing knowledge.

The discussion interprets your findings.

The conclusion summarizes the answer provided by your study.

Common Reasons for High Similarity

A high similarity report can arise for very different reasons.

Copying Published Literature

This is the most obvious issue.

Large sections copied from journal articles, websites, previous theses, or other academic documents can produce substantial matching text.

Literature Review Written Too Closely to Sources

Even when citations are present, following the source’s sentence structure too closely can create unnecessary similarity.

Standard Methodology

Certain medical procedures and laboratory methods naturally use standardized terminology.

Not every matching phrase is evidence of poor academic practice.

Reference List

References can produce matching text because titles, journal names, author names, and bibliographic information are standardized.

Templates and Institutional Wording

Some declarations, certificates and standardized institutional statements may naturally overlap with other documents.

This is why the individual matches should always be reviewed.

Turnitin Similarity: What Should You Check?

When you receive the report, divide the matches into categories.

Category 1: Legitimate Similarity

Examples include:

• References
• Standard terminology
• Properly formatted quotations
• Institutional wording

These may not require rewriting.

Category 2: Cited but Excessively Similar

The source is acknowledged, but the paragraph follows the original wording too closely.

Rewrite the paragraph in your own academic language.

Category 3: Uncited Similarity

If another researcher’s language or ideas have been used without appropriate attribution, correct the citation and rewrite the passage.

Category 4: Your Own Previous Work

Previously submitted material may also appear as a match depending on the database and comparison settings.

This should be handled according to the applicable academic rules rather than simply attempting to conceal the match.

What Not to Do When Trying to Reduce Similarity

There are several shortcuts that should be avoided.

Do Not Use Random Synonyms

Medical writing depends on precise terminology.

Replacing every word with a synonym can actually make the thesis scientifically inaccurate.

Do Not Delete Citations

A citation is not a problem to be removed merely because it generates a similarity match.

Do Not Manipulate Formatting

Changing fonts, inserting hidden characters, or using other techniques to interfere with similarity detection does not create original research.

Do Not Chase a Number

A similarity score should be interpreted in context.

The objective is a scientifically sound and properly referenced thesis—not an artificially low percentage.

Do Not Rewrite Without Checking Scientific Meaning

A paraphrased sentence is useless if the meaning has changed.

After rewriting, compare the statement with the source and verify that the interpretation remains accurate.

How to Make Your DNB Thesis More Original

Originality in a thesis is not limited to writing style.

It comes from the way you conduct and present your research.

You can improve originality by:

• Developing a clear research question
• Presenting your own study data
• Explaining your methodology accurately
• Interpreting your results independently
• Comparing your findings critically with published literature
• Discussing limitations honestly
• Concluding your actual findings
• Citing previous research appropriately

Your thesis should demonstrate your research and your interpretation of the evidence, rather than becoming a compilation of sentences taken from other publications.

DNB Thesis Final Submission Checklist

Before final submission, perform a complete review.

Research Check

☐ Title is consistent with the research

☐ Aim is clearly stated

☐ Objectives are measurable

☐ Methodology addresses the objectives

☐ Results correspond to the methodology

☐ Statistical analysis is appropriate

☐ Discussion interprets the findings

☐ Conclusions are supported by the results

Writing Check

☐ Grammar has been reviewed

☐ Scientific terminology is consistent

☐ Tables and figures are correctly numbered

☐ Abbreviations are used consistently

☐ Headings follow the required structure

☐ References have been checked

Similarity Check

☐ Similarity report has been reviewed

☐ Major matches have been investigated

☐ Unnecessary copied wording has been rewritten

☐ Sources have been cited appropriately

☐ Quotations are properly identified

☐ No artificial similarity-manipulation technique has been used

Submission Check

☐ Latest NBEMS instructions have been reviewed

☐ Required declarations are completed

☐ Required supporting documents are ready

☐ Thesis format has been checked

☐ Submission details have been verified

☐ Applicable deadline has been confirmed

NBEMS periodically publishes thesis-related notices and documents, so candidates should verify the current instructions before completing their submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DNB thesis protocol submission?

DNB thesis protocol submission is the formal process through which a DNB candidate submits the proposed research protocol according to the applicable NBEMS requirements.

Why is a DNB thesis protocol important?

It establishes the research question, objectives, methodology, and analysis plan before the main study is conducted. A strong protocol can prevent major methodological problems later.

Where can I check the latest DNB thesis guidelines?

Candidates should refer to the official NBEMS thesis portal and its current thesis-related notices and guidelines. The portal provides resources for thesis protocols and thesis writing/submission.

How can I reduce similarity on Turnitin?

To reduce similarity on Turnitin, write from your own understanding, synthesize multiple sources, paraphrase independently, cite original research correctly, and review individual similarity matches rather than trying to manipulate the report.

Is every Turnitin match plagiarism?

No. A similarity match indicates overlapping text; it does not by itself establish plagiarism. Properly cited content, quotations, and standardized material can also generate matches.

Should I aim for a particular similarity percentage?

There is no single percentage that should be treated as universally acceptable for every thesis. The significance of the matches and the academic rules applicable to your institution are more important than blindly targeting a number.

Can I remove references to reduce similarity?

No. References should not be removed simply to lower the similarity score. Accurate citation is an essential part of academic research.

Conclusion

The DNB thesis process becomes much easier when it is treated as a sequence rather than a last-minute writing assignment.

A carefully planned DNB thesis protocol submission creates the foundation for the research. Following the latest DNB thesis guidelines helps candidates maintain consistency between their research work and the required thesis submission process.

Turnitin should then be treated as a quality-control tool rather than a number to defeat. If you are searching for how to reduce similarity on Turnitin, the most reliable approach is to improve the actual writing: understand your sources, synthesize evidence, paraphrase independently, cite correctly, and review every important match.

A strong DNB thesis is ultimately not defined by how low its similarity percentage looks. It is defined by the quality of its research, accuracy of its methodology, clarity of its writing, honesty of its references, and strength of its interpretation.

For current requirements, candidates should always verify the latest NBEMS thesis notices and guidelines before protocol or final thesis submission.

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