Plagiarism is a serious ethical concern. Typically, journals will allow only 15-20% similarity. Considering that the editor has already been lenient in allowing up to 41%, it probably accounts for the author names and references. We recommend that you re-phrase all the text (not author names and references) where the sentences are copied verbatim from other sources. Phrases of the six sentences and above that are highlighted in the IThenticate report should be re-phrased.

Related reading:

• Should references be included in a plagiarism check?
• How should I revise my paper so that it clears plagiarism check at the journal end?
• How much do journal editors rely on plagiarism detection software?