Can You Plagiarize Yourself In College?

It would be great to just copy papers from previous assignments you did and still get a great grade on the paper, but sadly this is not an option. When writing papers for a class you’ve written papers for in the past, some wonder can you plagiarize yourself by getting content from a previous paper you wrote for a current assignment. The short answer to this question unfortunately is no. There are some reasons for this but in many cases, students don’t think it is a bad idea although there are some copyright issues and other notes to consider that may make some forms of self-plagiarism okay. Here are a few things to know about the concept and when in doubt, refer questions and concerns to your instructor.

Self Plagiarism in College Defined

Many students may not know there is such a thing as self plagarism or that it is not recommended. When thinking about the concept of self-plagiarism it basically includes plagiarizing yourself by copying content you wrote for another assignment. If you are writing a paper and decide to include content word for word from a previous paper you wrote, it may be considered self plagiarism if you choose not to cite the source of the material. You need to mention within the written content if something was pulled from another source. The concept applies because when you wrote the other content it was written for that specific purpose and now you are choosing to present it for different reasons.

Answering a Common Question: Can You Reuse Papers in College?

Writing papers for assignments in school may include referencing material from past papers, but is it possible to plagiarize yourself in this case? Many students likely do this often thinking they won’t get in trouble because the wording was originally theirs to begin with, but this may not be true. Your instructor may provide specific details on how to complete an assignment for your coursework. They may mention in the guidelines how to present your content and what they are looking for from your work. If you reuse a paper you could get in trouble since many instructors have ways of rechecking submitted content.

When You Need to Write an Original Paper: Is Self Plagiarism a Thing?

College students are expected to provide original information for papers, but can you plagiarize yourself in college for certain written assignments? Anytime you are given a writing assignment it is important to provide original work. There are reasons why you are required to complete writing assignments and you may not get the full academic experience or knowledge when reusing the same content over again. Some see self plagiarism as being lazy or inconsiderate, but creating content from scratch may include being inspired by previous works including your own.

Self-Plagiarism in College: What Does Your Instructor Think?

Heed any warnings from your instructor about copying your work. It is likely there are previous students who got called out for it by their instructor. Your project guidelines should state if you are allowed to pull content from a previous paper. If you have any doubts don’t be afraid to ask. You may be allowed to do it if you mention where the content originated in the current assignment. In most cases, instructors want originality and encourage students to create something new for the project to ensure requirements are met for grade scoring.

Overall, if you have any questions about self plagiarism, college instructors or anyone with significant writing experience may be able to assist clarifying this concept for your situation. The concept is getting attention at many college universities so you may want to check with your school to learn if it is a punishable offense for students. Sometimes it may be nothing to worry about depending on the subject and the reason for recopying content. It may be okay to do so if the section of content is small, but many tend to do it anyway without asking because they don’t see it as being a big deal. But if someone at your school got in trouble for it that should be enough for you to say you’ll avoid the action at all costs. A good online paper editing service can help you, so don't hesitate to ask for assistance.