Text recycling: defining the boundaries of acceptable reuse of one's own work

Bridget O'Boyle; Essie Rodgers; Katharina Ruthsatz; Andrea Fuller

doi:10.1093/conphys/coag047

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Text recycling: defining the boundaries of acceptable reuse of one's own work

Editorial

Open access

Text recycling: defining the boundaries of acceptable reuse of one's own work

Bridget O'Boyle, Essie Rodgers, Katharina Ruthsatz and Andrea Fuller

Conservation physiology, Vol.14(1), coag047

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coag047

PMID: 42434516

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Abstract

Introduction Text recycling, or the re-use of one’s own previously published text, is a widespread yet underrecognized issue in academic publishing. Many authors remain uncertain about what constitutes acceptable reuse of previously published material, and why reproducing such text without appropriate acknowledgment can be problematic. Empirical studies based on large-scale computational text analyses indicate that text recycling is common across academic disciplines, particularly in STEM fields (Horbach and Halffman, 2019; Anson and Moskovitz, 2021). Plagiarism-detection software used by our journal frequently identifies text recycling in submitted manuscripts. Although some overlap may be legitimate, excessive reuse of text may result in manuscripts being returned to authors. While the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides guidance on text recycling (Committee on Publication Ethics, 2016), awareness of these recommendations appears to be poor. In this editorial, we therefore define text recycling, explain why limits on reuse matter for the integrity of the scholarly record and offer practical guidance for authors.

Details

Title: Text recycling: defining the boundaries of acceptable reuse of one's own work
Authors/Creators: Bridget O'Boyle - Lancaster University
Essie Rodgers - Murdoch University
Katharina Ruthsatz - Ecologie microbienne
Andrea Fuller - University of the Witwatersrand
Publication Details: Conservation physiology, Vol.14(1), coag047
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Identifiers: 991005903924807891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences; Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems
Language: English
Resource Type: Editorial

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