Is it possible to plagiarize your own work

In most cases, students are expected to create original work for each class. It's how you grow! Sometimes it is appropriate for students to expand on their previous work, but it is still appropriate to acknowledge the previous work. Was this helpful? Yes No Warning: Your browser has javascript disabled. Without javascript some functions will not work, including question submission via the form.

Can you plagiarize yourself? Toggle menu visibility. Ask Another Question. Doing so, Leslie might commit what Scanlon calls "academic fraud," a form of self-plagiarism pg. Self-plagiarism is defined as a type of plagiarism in which the writer republishes a work in its entirety or reuses portions of a previously written text while authoring a new work.

Writers often maintain that because they are the authors, they can use the work again as they wish; they can't really plagiarize themselves because they are not taking any words or ideas from someone else. But while the discussion continues on whether self-plagiarism is possible, the ethical issue of self-plagiarism is significant, especially because self-plagiarism can infringe upon a publisher's copyright. Traditional definitions of plagiarism do not account for self-plagiarism, so writers may be unaware of the ethics and laws involved in reusing or repurposing texts.

The American Psychological Association explains how plagiarism differs from self-plagiarism: "Whereas plagiarism refers to the practice of claiming credit for the words, ideas, and concepts of others, self-plagiarism refers to the practice of presenting one's own previously published work as though it were new" pg.

As Roig suggests, self-plagiarism occurs "when authors reuse their own previously written work or data in a 'new' written product without letting the reader know that this material has appeared elsewhere" pg.

Roig identifies a few types of self-plagiarism:. The question of whether self-plagiarism exists or not—is it possible to plagiarize oneself? Plagiarism is typically defined as stealing the work of another and presenting it as if it were one's own.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines plagiarism as taking the work of another as "literary theft. However, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines to "plagiarize" similarly with the additional description in the second definition below:. So, in the Webster definition, recycling one's own papers would fall under "to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source" and is, therefore, considered plagiarism.

But what is more important than the definition of plagiarism, and whether it is possible to "self-plagiarize," is the ethics behind self-plagiarism. Publications manuals have a set standard regarding self-plagiarism.

When an author publishes in a journal, the author often signs over rights to the publisher; thus, copyright infringement is possible if an author reuses portions of a previously published work. Copyright law "protects original works of authorship" www. The Chicago Manual of Style provides the author's responsibilities in guaranteeing authorship: "In signing a contract with a publisher an author guarantees that the work is original, that the author owns it, that no part of it has been previously published, and that no other agreement to publish it or part of it is outstanding" pg.

Authors can quote from portions of other works with proper citations, but large portions of text even quoted and cited can infringe on copyright and would not fall under copyright exceptions or "fair use" guidelines. The amount of text one can borrow under "fair use" is not specified, but the Chicago Manual of Style gives as a "rule of thumb, one should never quote more than a few contiguous paragraphs or stanzas at a time or let the quotations, even scattered, begin to overshadow the quoter's own material" pg.

In addition to following fair use guidelines, authors need to recognize that copyright is not merely for published text. According to the U. Copyright Office , a "work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Biomedical journals, in particular, have had significant problems with copyright due to self-plagiarism and many have taken a stance against the practice in publication.

Some have gone so far as to request the author's previous manuscripts to ensure that the work is original Roig It seems that even the American Psychological Association APA has taken a recent position against the practice by addressing self-plagiarism in the sixth edition of the publication manual, a discussion, which is absent from previous editions. Toggle navigation Toggle navigation. News, tips, and resources from the academic publishing experts at AJE.

Popular Categories Writing a manuscript Finishing touches Choosing a journal Peer review and publication Sharing your research Research process Publication ethics. What is self-plagiarism? Why is self-plagiarism wrong? Although some forms of self-plagiarism may seem harmless, the rationale for avoiding this practice is threefold, ranging from the philosophical to the practical: 1. The fundamental role of research papers The broadest reason to avoid self-plagiarism deals with the integrity of the research record, and of scientific discovery as a whole.

Publisher copyright - your own words may not belong to you It is important to note that the standard process of publication in many journals includes ceding copyright of the finished paper to the publisher. Share your work as a preprint and help move science forward. Related Articles. Plagiarism in Academic Writing Plagiarism in Academic Writing: How to Identify and Avoid It Resources to help you understand plagiarism in academic writing and how to avoid accusations of unethical behavior.

Plagiarism in Academic Writing Avoiding Plagiarism How to avoid accusations of plagiarism with your research manuscript and increase its chance of publication. See all posts in series. Get Updates.