Have you ever reused your own content? Like reusing some lines of an old presentation, or some data from a previously submitted assignment. I have done it! Most of us have done it!
That’s because we didn’t know that it was unethical. When you reuse your own words and ideas from something you've already submitted without acknowledging it, that's self-plagiarism.
It might seem odd, but reusing your work without citation is like pretending it's new when it’s not.
What is self-plagiarism?
For students, self-plagiarism means reusing different parts of an old assignment for a new assignment. For researchers, self-plagiarism happens when they reuse published work in a new journal without proper citation.
“Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is widely considered unethical and would also likely constitute copyright infringement and violate the author-publisher contract of most journals” (Moskowitz, 2021).
Some examples of self-plagiarism
If your content is already public, you cannot use it anywhere again without referring to the original copy. Some common ways people reuse their content are:
- As a student we used to do that because we did not realize or feel bad at that time. Even 85% of students do not realize that and plagiarize their content (Learn G2). Students should get permission from their instructors before doing that.
- Writers often reuse parts of their works while writing a fresh piece, or sometimes it is done for internal linking which is good for SEO. But it should be done with proper care which is to put references and provide links.
- A research work should only be published to only one journal. Publishing in more than one journal is self-plagiarism.
A survey found that many students think that reusing their work again is time-saving. They are of the view that plagiarism is only for using others' content not one’s own.
That’s exactly what I used to think as a student!
Is recycling your own work called plagiarism?
You might believe that using your own content means you're not stealing from anyone and that it shouldn't be considered plagiarism. However, consider this as plagiarism.
You publish the content and pretend like the content is fresh, which is actually not. It may not be stealing, but it is cheating and dishonesty. You should mention that you have used these lines before.
And if you are paid to write fresh content, it is definitely stealing and it is harmful to your reputation. This practice will make you untrustable in the eyes of your clients.
Clients expect personalized and well-researched content, specially crafted for them. It is your responsibility to write it from scratch. If you have to use your previous work, ask your client first.
Real-life examples of self-plagiarism
Here are some examples of famous personalities who committed self-plagiarism and faced serious consequences such as losing their jobs or facing penalties:
- In 2017, an author, Jack Dunn said that the writer of “The DaVinci Code” reused many passages from his own novel “The Vatican Boys”.
- A student has sued the nursing school at Linfield College for expelling her. Do you know why? Because she refused her own work without permission.
- A famous writer from the New Yorker was caught self-plagiarizing, and he had to resign from his job.
These people didn’t steal from anyone, they just used their own content once again. This is not a problem, the problem is that they didn’t tell their authorities about it.
How can you avoid self-plagiarism?
As I wrote earlier, avoiding self-plagiarism is your legal and moral responsibility. Now I am giving you some tactics to avoid self-plagiarism.
1. Understand what plagiarism is
The first step to avoid a problem is to understand the problem. Like Socrates once said, “Understanding a question is half an answer.”
For example, many people do not realize that paraphrasing any writing without giving proper credit is copying.
The best way to avoid copying is to be clear on what exactly copying is, and how you can avoid something you don’t even know. Now that you know what self-plagiarism is, be careful next time.
2. Research on the topic
You must research the topic and the structure of your upcoming work before starting to write. It will help you avoid accidental plagiarism. Read your previous content on the same topic and do a competitor analysis too.
It will prevent last-minute stress, which can lead to reusing old work or copying from other sources. Also, keep proper notes and use a plagiarism scanner to analyze the text and make sure you're not copying even accidentally.
3. Credit the sources
Credit has to be given to each source even if it belongs to yourself. There are different ways to do that. For example:
- You can just be open about it. Make sure your readers know that you've used it before by including a note in your writing.
- Or you can put the text you've taken inside quotation marks. Be sure to mention that you're the author and when you first uploaded it.
How to cite the content?
Citing yourself involves acknowledging your previous work in a new piece of writing. Follow these instructions to do that:
Cite the content: Whenever you refer to your own work from a previous publication, it's important to cite that work in a similar way you would cite another author's work.
Put in inverted commas: Even if you are reusing your content, it should be put into quotation marks or inverted commas. Do not forget to mention the reference and publication date.
Include yourself in the reference list: Include your previous work in the reference list of your new paper, following your field's citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).
Mention the purpose: Indicate that you're citing your own work to maintain transparency, either in the text or in a footnote.
APA style
In-text Citation:
- Example: (White, 2020).
- Explanation: The last name and the publication year are used in parentheses.
Reference list:
- Example: White, T. (2020). Title of the Work. Name of publisher.
MLA style
In-text citation:
- Example: (Doe 25).
- Explanation: Use your last name followed by the page number if applicable.
Works cited:
- Example: Doe, John. Title of Your Previous Work. Publisher, 2019.
Conclusion
Self-plagiarism is not a minor issue. It may seem small, but it is not. It makes your content look fresh when it is actually not.
Many people don’t even know that this is also a kind of plagiarism. I have clearly defined why it falls under plagiarism and how it can be avoided in this article.
You just have to consider rephrasing your content, putting references with it, and telling your readers about the source of the content.
This will help you maintain your academic integrity and guide your audience accordingly. Share this article with your friends for the awareness of self-plagiarism.
Frequently asked questions
Can you plagiarize yourself?
If you are referring to content that you wrote sometime before and published, then yes, it will be called plagiarism, self-plagiarism to be specific.
Can self-plagiarism be accidental?
Yes, self-plagiarism is a very common type of plagiarism that can be accidental, especially if you forget to cite your earlier work. You cannot present it as a fresh piece.
How do you prevent yourself from plagiarizing?
There is only one way to do that which is to rewrite content in your own words. It will not only remove plagiarism but also show your understanding of the topic. After that, give credit to the sources also.