Blog Is Recycling Your Own Work Plagiarism? Written on July 20 2016. -- -- Written on July 20 2016. [self-plagiarism-blog-image.png] This post is excerpted from an article originally published on -- -- Writers often claim that because they are the authors, they can reuse their work, either in full or in excerpts, over and over again. How can republishing one’s own work be defined as plagiarism if the author has only used his or her own words and ideas? This article explores the -- only used his or her own words and ideas? This article explores the definition of self-plagiarism, how it crosses into copyright laws and ethical issues, and the different ways an author can avoid this increasingly controversial act of scholarly misconduct. -- -- __________________________________________________________________ What is Self-plagiarism? Let's look at one scenario: Leslie is an assistant professor going -- -- number of publications for tenure, but from the same work. Doing so, Leslie might commit what Scanlon (2007) calls “academic fraud,” a form of selfplagiarism (pg. 57). -- 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 -- -- 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 -- 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 -- 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. -- -- texts. The American Psychological Association (2010) explains how plagiarism differs from self-plagiarism: “Whereas plagiarism refers to the practice of claiming credit for the words, ideas, and concepts of -- 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. 170). -- -- previously published work as though it were new” (pg. 170). As Roig (2006) 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 -- -- their own previously written work or data in a ‘new’ written product without letting the reader know that this material has appeared elsewhere” (pg. 16). Roig identifies a few types of self-plagiarism: * Republishing the same paper that is published elsewhere without notifying the reader nor publisher of the journal -- -- __________________________________________________________________ Definitions of Plagiarism -- The question of whether self-plagiarism exists or not—is it possible to plagiarize oneself?—is rooted in the definition of plagiarism. Plagiarism is typically defined as stealing the work of another and presenting it as if it were one’s own. The Oxford English Dictionary -- presenting it as if it were one’s own. The Oxford English Dictionary (2011) defines plagiarism as taking the work of another as “literary theft.” The verb to “plagiarize” is defined as: * “To take and use as one's own (the thoughts, writings, or inventions of another person);” -- -- According to the OED definition, in the strict sense recycling papers would not be plagiarism. -- However, Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2011) defines to “plagiarize” similarly with the addition description in the second definition below: * To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: -- -- 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. __________________________________________________________________ -- -- __________________________________________________________________ Ethical Issues of 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 -- -- 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 2010 sixth edition of the publication manual, a discussion, which is absent from previous editions. -- -- __________________________________________________________________ Avoiding Self-plagiarism Roig (2006) offers writers a comprehensive list of guidelines for -- -- Roig (2006) offers writers a comprehensive list of guidelines for avoiding plagiarism, four of which deal specifically with self-plagiarism, as follows: * Guideline 10: Authors who submit a manuscript for publication containing data, reviews, conclusions, etc., that have already been -- -- that is subsequently presented as a new study is an equally serious ethical breach. * Guideline 12: Because some instances of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and even some writing practices that might otherwise be acceptable (e.g., extensive paraphrasing or quoting of key elements of a book) can constitute copyright infringement, -- -- Technology like iThenticate by Turnitin is another way to avoid self-plagiarism. By comparing written work against the largest database of scholarly, full-text content, authors and researchers can screen their work prior to publication submission and organizations can -- -- Conclusion The issue of self-plagiarism is becoming more and more prevalent, and some fields, particularly in STM organizations, such as biomedicine, -- some fields, particularly in STM organizations, such as biomedicine, have seen a rising trend in self-plagiarism. The APA publication manual has no discussion of self-plagiarism in its fifth edition, but addresses it twice in the sixth edition, perhaps to prevent such practices. Organizations and individual authors and researchers can -- -- take preventative measures in their writing practices and editing processes, including the use of technology that helps detect potential self-plagiarism before submitting their work for publication. References -- -- Style Chicago. 16th Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. * “Plagiarize.” (2011). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com. -- http://www.merriam-webster.com. * “Plagiarism, n.” (2011). OED Online (3rd. ed.). Retrieved from http://www.oed.com. -- http://www.oed.com. * “Plagiarize, v.” (2011). OED Online (3rd. ed. ). Retrieved from http://www.oed.com. -- http://www.oed.com. * Roig, Miguel. (2006). Avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing. -- other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing. Retrieved from http://facpub.stjohns.edu/~roigm/plagiarism.doc * Scanlon, Patrick M. (2007). Song from myself: An anatomy of self-plagairism. Plagiary: Cross-Disciplinary Studies in -- -- * Scanlon, Patrick M. (2007). Song from myself: An anatomy of self-plagairism. Plagiary: Cross-Disciplinary Studies in Plagiarism, Fabrication, and Falsification, 57-66. * Frequently Asked Questions About Copyright. (2010). Copyright. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Copyright Office. Retrived from