Q: Is it self-plagiarism to use the introduction of my published paper for another manuscript?

Detailed Question -

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. 

2 Answers to this question
Answer:

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.

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Comment
Answer: After the authors and editors have crafted the best language to describe fundamental parts of study methods, why should one paraphrase that into language that is less precise and more awkward? There are many circumstances (that are not salami publication) where an author needs to describe key methods of one study in more than one report. I suggest that, if authors believe the best way to communicate their methods to readers is to use the same language they used in an earlier report, they simply explain this to the editor in their cover letter. Of course, the author should cite the original publication of these methods. This approach may be less appropriate for Introduction and Discussion sections of research reports. Transparency is more important than computer detection.
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