Is it possible to plagiarize from your own work?

Question

It sounds silly when you read it to yourself, but this does not mean it may not still be true. I am a current college student and I want to know could this happen or if there are laws against this in some way. For those of you still not following me just yet, allow me to clarify with an example. Suppose I have (Oh… I do not know) an English paper due. I write the paper with no outside sources and just my own information/input. Then a couple weeks later I have another assignment due on a similar topic my English paper was done on earlier. If I use similar wording, or take a *exact* sentence from my earlier paper (which this what plagiarism is all about), is that illegal to do?

I would think not since I am not taking someone else’s work and claiming it as my own – but I am taking my own work and just reclaiming it, I suppose. There is no rule against that is there?

Answer 1

Well I would say if it isn't a "published" work then you're okay (maybe lazy but okay). I work for a dr. who has written many medical articles. When he writes a new one, if he gleans info from another one (even if it was written by him) he must cite it!

Answer 2

Technically, it is not plagiarism if it is your own work. You can cite your prior paper as an unpublished paper - check the MLA or Chicago Manual of Style on how to cite unpublished works - and I would suggest doing this (citing yourself).

Be aware that some colleges and/or departments within a college have policies against turning in the same or substantially the same paper for more than one class. It is something to ask the department about. If you are simply citing a few points/sentences from a prior paper, you should be fine. If you are turning in a paper that has only a few minor changes from a prior one...well, that could potentially be problematic if the school has policies against it.

Answer 3

It is possible, but you are allowed to do it. There is even a legal precedence.

John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival surrendered the right to his songs in order to get out of a contract with his record company.

He subsequently released a song that sounded very much like one of his earlier songs. He was sued for plagiarism. The court ruled that he had plagiarized himself -- but was allowed to do it (even though the record company owned the rights).

Answer 4

no plagiarism is to copy SOMEONE ELSE'S work word for word and not citing it as your source, or so much as crediting the original writer. there is no rule against that, so in your scenario you're in the clear.

my advice to you is to not make it a habbit of copying from your earlier papers, professors have so many papers to read throughly and grade that it's possible for them to remember things from your previous work.

Answer 5

Back in my high school they taught us that it is plagiarism to write a paper for one class, and then use the same paper, or somewhat altered paper, in another class.
I don't know if that's what you're talking about, but that's what I was told.

Answer 6

Interesting question!

Not knowing, however, I would assume that if you had books published, medical or scientific material published in their proper journals that the proper thing for an author to do would be to quote himself! - that is, if it is a formal work you are doing.

Couldn't you ask a professor what the rules are?

Answer 7

There's no rule against that. It's your own work, your sentences and you can repeat them as much as you want.

Answer 8

There is no rule about this. But I would be very careful repeating yourself, maybe your tutors would pick up on it, and think you had not done any research.

Answer 9

i guess there is no rule like that....

if there is, i mean, come on, which moron made it?!!