While plagiarism of others’ work is universally condemned, authors’ reuse of their own words and data (so-called ‘self-plagiarism’) is a far more contentious issue. The recycling of one's own text, in particular, polarizes opinion: some consider it unacceptable, whereas others don't see anything wrong with it at all. This being so, it is unsurprising that there are no widely adopted guidelines outlining which (if any) and how much text may be recycled. My aim in writing this article is to briefly introduce the different types of self-plagiarism; to present the views of journal editors and other interested parties and describe ways in which the former are combating abuses; and to highlight some of the steps authors can take to avoid trouble.
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