Q: Is it self-plagiarism to use the introduction of my published paper for another manuscript?
I have published an article and am currently working on another manuscript. Will it be considered self-plagiarism if I take the introduction of the published article as is and use it for the second manuscript. Will be okay if I cite it like any other reference? I plan to use whole paragraphs, not sentences.
It is not acceptable to copy whole paragraphs as is and use them in another paper. This will definitely be considered self-plagiarism, even if you cite the source. If you want to use parts of another published paper, you will have to paraphrase those parts, that is, rewrite them in a different way using different words. Even if you do that, however, you should definitely cite the source. If, during paraphrasing, you happen to directly lift one or two sentences, make sure you use quotation marks for them. Else, the plagiarism detection software at the journal end will mark them as similar text and your paper might be rejected.
Even after you have paraphrased, it would be advisable to get a plagiarism check done before you submit your paper. That way, you will be able to find out the percentage of similarity. If it is more than 25 per cent, you should try to reword the text further. This is because journals usually reject papers which show a high percentage of similarity in the plagiarism check report.
Recommended reading:
- What's the big deal about self-plagiarism?
- Avoiding self-plagiarism: A case study
- How much do journal editors rely on plagiarism detection software?
This content belongs to the Manuscript Writing Stage