What Is Self-Plagiarism? (+ 7 Prevention Strategies!)

• Oct 14, 2024
• 7 min read

• Tags: Plagiarism, Plagiarism Checkers

Self-plagiarism can severely damage academic reputation and lead to loss of funding. This blog explains what it means and offers 6 strategies to prevent it. 

To help you understand this service, we’ve included both paid and free plagiarism checkers online. We’ve also added useful citation practices you can adopt. So let’s begin by examining what self-plagiarism means! 

What is self-plagiarism? 

Self-plagiarism is reusing one’s own previously published work without citing and crediting the original source. There are different forms of self-plagiarism. 

• • • Text recycling: This means copying and pasting chunks of your old work into a new paper without giving credit. 
    • Redundant publication: This occurs when an author presents the same research or writing in multiple platforms and magazines. For example, you publish the same article in two journals by rewording the abstract and changing the title. 
    • Data recycling: This is when you use the same research data again without explaining where it came from originally. 
    • Salami slicing: It involves publishing many small research articles about the same topic that are a part of the larger research. 
    • Translating without crediting the original source: if you’re translating your work into another language and not crediting the original source, this is also self-plagiarism. 

Here are some examples of self-plagiarism: 

• • • • Publishing a conference presentation as a journal article without crediting the original presentation. 
      • Reusing images and figures from a previous publication without crediting the original source. 
      • Submitting the same article for print publication which was published online without crediting the online source. 
      • Reusing content written for a book chapter to create a journal article without crediting the original book chapter. 

Now let’s explore why self-plagiarism is not acceptable. (If you already know this, skip this section and directly see the tools to avoid self-plagiarism.)

Why is self-plagiarism considered unethical? 

Self-plagiarism can mislead people about new research by researchers. Not only does it break the rules about copyright and publishing rights, but it also gives researchers an unfair edge when competing for funding. 

Furthermore, self-plagiarism can artificially boost citation counts, making work seem more influential than it really is. Also, reusing co-authored work without permission is unfair to your collaborators. 

Now let’s understand the features of 5 self-plagiarism checkers that can help! 

Five useful tools to prevent self-plagiarism

Here are the 5 of the best plagiarism checkers to avoid self-plagiarism: 

1. Turnitin

Turnitin similarity scans the text across more than 90 million pages for plagiarism. It provides a “Similarity Report” where plagiarism instances are highlighted using colors. 

Further, it also provides a side-by-side comparison and an overall similarity score for your text. With this, Turnitin can also identify text that has been tweaked to evade standard checks.

Additionally, Turnitin also identifies any occurrences of text spinning and contract cheating. 

2. iThenticate 

To use, iThenticate, you’ll need to create a free account. Then, you must purchase credits to submit files and compare their similarity with other texts. After this, you’ll be able to upload a file of not more than 25000 words to detect plagiarism. 

This tool also allows integration with manuscript tracking systems like eJournal Press, ScholarOne, and Open Journal System. Additionally, iThenticate also enables users to submit two documents for comparison. After scanning the text, iThenticate provides a “Similarity Report” that includes a percentage score for plagiarism. 

3. Grammarly 

Grammarly’s free plagiarism checker compares your writing to a vast database of online content. Then, it highlights any parts that might be similar. Further, it scores your text and provides links to the original sources.

The best part is that this plagiarism tool is integrated with Grammarly’s grammar and writing assistant. So, you can also correct any grammatical mistakes and enhance your sentence structures. Plus, Grammarly even gives suggestions to help you correct any incorrect citations! (for Premium users) 

Note: Only 10,000 words can be checked using the free version. 

4. QuillBot 

QuillBot allows you to scan text in 100+ languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, etc. You can check text up to 25,000 words with the Premium subscription. 

The tool accepts various file formats such as .txt, .pdf, .docx, and .html. Once you upload your text, QuillBot provides a report with the plagiarism score and links to similar sources. 

5. PlagiarismDetector.Net 

The free version of this tool can scan 1000 words at a time for plagiarism. Users who wish to scan larger texts can opt for the Premium version that allows checks for 25,000 words. 

This tool is ad-free and supports various languages like English, German, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, etc, Further, it also allows you to upload the page URL for a quick plagiarism check! 

How to avoid self-plagiarism (7 strategies)

1. Organize your sources

To organize your sources, create separate folders for each research topic. A simple strategy is to tag resources with relevant keywords. This makes it easy to search for sources. Some other practical strategies for organizing sources are: 

• • • • Use reference management software like Zotero or Mendeley.
      • Save PDFs of articles with clear file names (Author_Year_Title).
      • Use cloud storage to access your sources from anywhere. You can use Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive for cloud storage and file backup. 

2. Improve note-taking practices

• • • • Clearly mark direct quotes with quotation marks.
      • Include page numbers with all notes and quotes.
      • Use digital note-taking apps like Evernote, OneNote, Notion, Bear, Obsidian, and EditPad. 

3. Justify reuse in the new context

When reusing your old data, explain why you’re doing it and what’s new in your current work. Also, if you’re using different research methods, say so. 

Here are some sentence ideas to give you an idea about how to justify reuse: 

• • • • “While our previous study focused on X, this paper examines Y.” (highlighting new aspects). 
      • “Reexamining this dataset allows for longitudinal comparison.” (give a logical reason for reuse).
      • “Unlike our 2018 study, these results suggest a complete shift…” (use compare and contrast two studies) 
      • “By reanalyzing these results, we contribute to the ongoing debate about Z.” (link the research to a broader context). 
      • While some data overlap exists, this study provides unique insights by…” (address potential concerns and criticism) 

4. Practice paraphrasing

Rephrase the content from your source. Some ways of doing this are using synonyms and changing sentence structure. For example, if the original sentence starts with “These are the main findings”, avoid starting your sentence using the same words. 

Splitting large sentences in two, joining two related sentences using conjunctions, and adding your own perspective help to paraphrase. To ensure that your content isn’t exactly similar, you can also use unique examples you’ve crafted (wherever relevant). 

5. Be aware of citation practices

It’s crucial to learn the citation style specific to your field (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Cite your own work objectively, including your name, publication date, title, and page number. Use both in-text citations and full references in your paper.  

Here are some important pointers to remember while citing sources: 

• • • • Clearly indicate when you’re citing your own work. For example, In the text, you might say “As I/we argued in a previous study (Author, Year)…”
      • Update citations when required. If you’ve earlier cited an unpublished work, but the work has been recently published, update the citation accordingly. 
      • Don’t repeat large portions of your previous work; summarize and cite instead. 

Note: Overuse of self-citation can be seen as self-promotion. 

6. Maintain transparency about reuse

Some strategies to cite data taken from your own works are: 

• • • • Give exact data of the content taken: For example, “Approximately 20% of the methods section is adapted from our previous publication Orange Persona.”
      • Obtain and acknowledge permissions from the publisher/ publication: For example, “Portions of the methods are reprinted with permission from Journal X.”
      • Create a dedicated paragraph explaining all instances of reuse. 
      • Add link for open source content: Use a sentence like, “Full dataset available at [original source link], enabling verification and reuse.” 
      • Use tables comparing old and new works and footnotes if relevant. 

7. Take feedback from colleagues

Ask your colleagues to review your work before you submit it. You can also use platforms like Google Docs and OverLeaf for collaborating with colleagues. By allowing them to comment and give suggestions, you can minimize self-plagiarism. 

Also, after you run your text through plagiarism checkers, take feedback from colleagues and share the plagiarism report with them. Some other useful strategies are: 

• • • • Create a self-plagiarism checklist and request colleagues to review if the checklist is being followed. 
      • Have colleagues review your work at both early and late stages to catch self-plagiarism at the writing stage. 
      • If working with co-authors, assign one person to specifically check for self-plagiarism.

You can use these practical strategies to prevent self-plagiarism. However, it’s possible to still accidentally plagiarize from various sources. 

If you want extra help, PaperTrue can check your text for plagiarism. We upload your paper to our reliable in-house software to scan for any plagiarism instances. Additionally, we also enhance formatting, cross-check references, and provide editing and proofreading services. 

Here are some useful resources for you: 

• • The 10 Best Citation Generators in 2024 | Free & Paid Plans!
  • Research Paper Format: APA, MLA, & Chicago Style
  • 5 Reasons to Cite Your Sources Properly | Avoid Plagiarism!
  • Academic Writing in 2024: 5 Key Dos & Don’ts + Examples
  • How to Write a Strong Dissertation & Thesis Introduction

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Priya

Priya has a talent for academic research and enjoys simplifying complex topics. When she's not helping students improve their writing, she can be seen reading poetry, playing the harmonium, or learning classical dance.