Question: Why is plagiarizing yourself a thing?

School Culture and Policy Forum
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Hi guys,

In my view, it seems like a mere pretext to encourage more writing. I fail to understand why one cannot reuse their own work as long as proper citations are maintained. Since it’s your original creation, there should be no restriction on how many times you can use it. Given this perspective, I am puzzled as to why such reuse would be disallowed. Could someone clarify this for me?

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While in college, I did it constantly. various instructors, various classes. As long as you cite the source, you should be set to go.
That would be a different story, though, if I were publishing anything or anything. However, you must use your own work while writing papers.

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Furthermore, why do academics who receive identical assignments from other academics not face consequences? Is not that considered plagiarism and essentially robbing students of their opportunity to learn new ideas by charging them to complete the same assignment twice?

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Reusing your own work (self-plagiarism) can be a no-no even though it’s yours! Here’s why:

  • Classes want new work: professors expect fresh ideas and engagement with the current topic, not reheated leftovers from past assignments.
  • Originality matters: Show your progress! Build on your past knowledge but expand with new research and arguments for this specific assignment.