Text recycling: Self-plagiarism in scientific writing

To further the progress of scientific research and expand the literature, authors and editors share a common goal of producing and reviewing innovative publications. However, as publication rates increase, so does the amount of detected plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. This concept, also referred to as text recycling, is defined as the repurposing of one's own previously published work in new publications without referencing the original source. There are advocates both for and against versions of text recycling, but without a universal protocol for authors and editors of what constitutes self-plagiarism, there is no strict standard among journals as to what is unethical. The advent of online text duplication detection software has been increasingly used by journals to assure that all published work is novel, but challenges remain. Converging on standardized guidelines would be beneficial with regard to text recycling and improving author education and the promotion of active communication between journals and authors during the submission process if confusion arises.