Plagiarism Module 3.6 Self-Plagiarism

Reusing Your Own Academic Work

image of student essay

You use part or all of a previously completed essay in a new assignment. You do not acknowledge that you are borrowing from your own previous work.

= PLAGIARISM

"Like all plagiarism the essence of self-plagiarism is the author attempts to deceive the reader. This happens when no indication is given that the work is being recycled or when an effort is made to disguise the original text...." (Hexham, 2005, emphasis added)

While it is often acceptable - and encouraged - to build on in-class work, notes, and ideas as you write papers on similar topics throughout your academic career, it is vital that you provide a clear path back to the original use of these ideas, just as with citing the work of others.

How to Cite Yourself: Example in APA Style

Marie Briggs is a student at Walden University. She wrote a paper last term on personality theory, and she wants to use some of her work in that paper in another paper this term. Since she is citing previously completed work - even though it is her own - she needs to cite it just as she would someone else's work. Here is what her in-text citation might look like:

Briggs (2012) asserted that previous literature on the psychology of tightrope walkers was faulty in that it "presumed that risk-taking behaviors align neatly with certain personality traits or disorders" (p. 4).

Her reference list would also include this paper:

Briggs, M. (2012). An analysis of personality theory [Unpublished manuscript]. Walden University.

Remember, these citation examples are in APA style. If you are asked to use another style, such as MLA or Chicago, your references will look slightly different.

If you are ever unsure whether to cite your previous work, or whether it is okay to incorporate that previous work into new projects and papers, consult with your instructor or a librarian.

APA example credit: Walden University, 2015
Image credit: "Hume paper" by Quinn Dombrowski is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0