The issue of plagiarism in scientific works is one of the key issues, as it concerns the violation of academic integrity and ethical principles of authorship. When considering this topic, it is necessary to separately highlight the problem of self-plagiarism, i.e., the publication of one's old materials and scientific results as new ones, without proper citation. Where is the line between citing one's old works and outright plagiarism? How can self-plagiarism be avoided? You will find the answers to these questions in our new article.
Self-citation and self-plagiarism: differences and characteristics
Self-citation is when authors refer to their previous publications. It allows them to showcase their past achievements, productivity, and professional development, as well as to prove the correctness of their previous theories and conclusions.
However, it should be noted that although self-citation is not a negative practice, excessive references to one's own publications may be perceived as an attempt to manipulate scientometric indicators, in particular the Hirsch index. Many prestigious scientific journals limit the percentage of their own works that authors can cite in a scientific article.
Self-plagiarism is the reuse of one's own scientific work without citing the original source.
When does self-plagiarism occur?
- In the case of republishing entire articles, dissertations, and other scientific works without indicating their previous publication. This applies, in particular, to translations of such works into other languages.
- When significant fragments of one's previous scientific works are used in new publications without proper citation.
- When individual parts of a study are published in more articles than necessary. As a result, the articles repeat the same hypothesis, methodology, and results.
Self-plagiarism is enshrined as a separate violation of academic integrity in the legislation of many countries.
Why is self-plagiarism considered so important?
Self-plagiarism in the scientific community leads to:
- Misleading the readers. If an author's self-plagiarism is exposed, readers will understand that they tried to pass off old material as new. This will undermine trust in them in the scientific community – their future publications will be viewed with suspicion.
- Creating false impressions about the author's productivity. Each new scientific publication should be unique and reflect the results of new research. Duplicating old works will create the impression that the author is conducting more research than is actually the case.
- Delays in scientific progress. Science is based on the constant development and accumulation of new knowledge. Self-plagiarism leads to the accumulation of existing materials, i.e., it leads to stagnation instead of progress.
Therefore, self-plagiarism is a negative phenomenon that affects the reputation of the author in particular and the state of the scientific field in general.
Self-plagiarism: how to avoid stealing from yourself?
When working on a scientific paper, we recommend taking the following steps to avoid self-plagiarism.
Check the uniqueness of your scientific papers
Special programs for checking uniqueness will help you identify fragments of your work that you may have forgotten to mention. Programs you can use include Duplicheker, Turnitin, and iThenticate.
Supplement old arguments with new ideas
Sometimes, to answer a question in a new scientific work, the author may use a general thesis or a separate argument from their previous work. However, it is important to remember that in such cases, you must always supplement this old information with new information – new ideas, conclusions, and perspectives on the problem from a different angle. It is not enough to change the words in an old sentence – you need to present a new idea.
Remember to adhere to the principles of academic integrity
Honesty is one of the principles of academic integrity. By using self-plagiarism, you violate this principle not only in relation to other members of the scientific community, but also to yourself. So use your desire to adhere to principles as motivation against violations.
Remember: it is not difficult to avoid self-plagiarism if you set yourself the goal of fighting it!
Self-citation: how not to cross the line into self-plagiarism?
To use your previous work ethically, follow these rules:
- Cite yourself only when it is appropriate. There is no need to add links to your old work just to increase the number of references. Use them if it is really necessary to reveal the topic.
- Find out the requirements of scientific journals for self-citation. We can give you some advice: our many years of experience working with prestigious scientific journals shows that the optimal percentage of self-citations is 12%. However, we recommend that you contact the editorial office and clarify its rules.
- Always cite your sources. Do not forget to add references to your own works. Remember that software will detect plagiarism even if you have rephrased your old articles.
Therefore, self-citation must be used correctly so as not to turn this useful tool into a means of damaging your professional reputation.
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