Ever written a paper and thought, "Hey, this sounds familiar?" It's because we often build upon our own previous work, refining arguments and expanding on research. But even if you're quoting *yourself*, academic integrity demands proper citation. Failing to acknowledge your own prior publications is considered self-plagiarism, a serious ethical breach in the academic world that can impact your credibility and reputation.
Properly citing your own work allows you to demonstrate the evolution of your thinking, establish a clear research trajectory, and avoid misleading readers into believing you're presenting entirely novel ideas when you're actually building upon existing ones. Mastering self-citation in APA style ensures you give credit where credit is due, even if the credit is due to... yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions about Self-Citation in APA Style
How do I cite my own previously published work in APA?
To cite your own previously published work in APA Style, treat yourself as the author and follow the standard citation format for the type of work you are citing (e.g., journal article, book chapter, website). Include your name, the year of publication, the title of the work, and the publication information (journal name, book title, publisher, URL, etc.), just as you would for any other author. The key is transparency: ensure readers understand that you are referencing your own prior work.
The most common mistake people make is believing that they don't need to cite their own work. However, self-plagiarism is a real concern. Even though you wrote the original work, reusing it without attribution is academically dishonest and violates copyright principles. Proper citation gives credit where it's due and avoids any implication that you are presenting someone else's ideas or words as your own. It also allows readers to track the development of your thinking over time.
When referencing your own work, consider the context. If you're directly quoting or paraphrasing substantial portions of your previous writing, use quotation marks and page numbers (or paragraph numbers for online sources without pagination). If you're simply referring to a concept or idea you previously discussed, a general citation is sufficient. If you are republishing an entire previously published work, then follow the guidelines for republication outlined by APA.
When should I cite myself in APA style?
You should cite your own previously published work in APA style whenever you are directly quoting, paraphrasing, or building upon your own ideas, data, or findings that have appeared in other publications. This ensures transparency, avoids self-plagiarism, and gives readers proper context for your current work.
Think of your previous publications like any other source. If the information or idea isn't considered common knowledge and originated from your past work, you need to provide a citation. This applies whether it's a direct quote, a restatement in your own words (paraphrase), or using data or conclusions from a previous study. Failing to cite your previous work could be interpreted as self-plagiarism, as it gives the impression that the ideas are new and original to the current paper when they are not. Proper self-citation acknowledges the evolution of your thinking and contributions to the field.
Furthermore, self-citation helps to establish the credibility and context of your current research. By referencing your earlier work, you demonstrate a consistent line of inquiry and allow readers to trace the development of your ideas. This is particularly important when you are expanding on a previous study, replicating a methodology, or applying findings to a new context. Ensure that you follow standard APA citation formats, including author name(s), year of publication, title of the work, and publication details (e.g., journal name, volume, issue, page numbers, DOI).
What is the difference between citing and self-plagiarizing in APA?
In APA style, citing yourself appropriately acknowledges your previous work and demonstrates the evolution of your thinking, whereas self-plagiarism presents your previously published work as new, violating ethical guidelines and potentially copyright agreements. Citing is transparent and gives credit where it is due, while self-plagiarism is deceptive and misleading.
The key distinction lies in intent and transparency. When you cite your own work, you are openly informing the reader that a portion of the current text or data appeared in an earlier publication. You provide a proper citation, just as you would for any other source. This allows readers to track the development of your ideas and understand the context of your current arguments. Self-plagiarism, on the other hand, occurs when you reuse substantial portions of your previously published work without attribution. This creates the impression that the work is original to the current publication, which is false.
Think of it this way: your previous publications contribute to the existing body of knowledge. By citing them, you are building upon that foundation and showing how your current work relates to your prior contributions. This is academically sound and professionally ethical. Failing to cite your own prior work misrepresents the originality of your contribution, potentially infringes on copyright (if you've transferred copyright to a publisher), and undermines the reader's trust. Essentially, always cite yourself when reusing content from prior work, just like you would cite any other author. The rule of thumb is to ask yourself: "Would the reader reasonably believe this is entirely new content?" If the answer is no, cite.
How do I format the in-text citation for my own work in APA?
When referencing your own previously published work in APA style, treat yourself as the author and follow the standard author-date format for in-text citations. This means including your last name and the year of publication within parentheses. For example: (Your Last Name, Year).
If you are directly quoting from your previous work, you must also include the page number (or paragraph number if there are no page numbers). For example: (Your Last Name, Year, p. X) or (Your Last Name, Year, para. X). This ensures accuracy and allows readers to easily locate the specific information within the cited source, even if that source is your own work. Remember that self-citation should be used judiciously; cite your own work when it's truly relevant and contributes meaningfully to your current argument, not simply to inflate your citation count.
Consider how the information from your previous work is being used in your current paper. If you are summarizing or paraphrasing a general idea, only the author-date format is needed. However, if you are building directly upon a specific finding or argument from your previous work, be more specific in your citation. By clearly distinguishing between general references and direct quotations, you'll avoid plagiarism and properly attribute ideas to their original source, even when that source is yourself. Furthermore, if the prior work has multiple authors, follow the standard APA guidelines for multiple author citations (e.g., using "et al." after the first author if there are three or more authors).
Does citing unpublished work of my own differ in APA?
Yes, citing your own unpublished work in APA Style differs from citing published sources. The primary difference lies in the absence of formal publication details like a journal name, volume, issue, or page numbers. Instead, you’ll need to clearly indicate the work's unpublished status and provide as much relevant information as possible for identification.
When citing your own unpublished work, accuracy and clarity are key. For example, use phrases like "unpublished manuscript," "unpublished raw data," "paper presented at [Conference Name]," or "under review" to specify the nature and status of the work. Include the date the work was created or presented, if known. Providing context such as the department or university affiliation where the work originated can further aid in identification. Remember, the goal is to allow readers to understand the source and, if possible, locate it. Here's a general template for citing your own unpublished manuscript: Your Name, A. A. (Year). *Title of manuscript*. Unpublished manuscript, [Department Name, University Name]. For presentations: Your Name, A. A. (Year, Month). *Title of presentation*. Paper presented at [Conference Name], [Location]. Remember to only include unpublished work in your reference list if it is essential to understanding your current work. If the work is not crucial, it might be better to describe it in the text itself, rather than adding it to the references.What if the previously published work has different authors including me?
When citing a previously published work that includes you as one of multiple authors in APA style, the core principle remains the same: accurately and transparently credit the original source. The citation should include all authors in the reference list entry, up to a maximum of 20. In the in-text citation, use the first author's name followed by "et al." if there are three or more authors, or list both authors if there are only two.
The main difference from citing your sole-authored work is the emphasis on properly attributing credit to all co-authors. You are not citing *yourself* exclusively, but rather the collective work of the entire author group. Therefore, the APA guidelines for citing multiple-author works apply. In the reference list, list all authors in the order they appear in the original publication, using the format "Last Name, Initial(s)." For in-text citations, if there are three or more authors, use the first author's last name followed by "et al." and the year. For example: (Smith et al., 2023).
Consider a scenario where you co-authored a paper with John Doe and Jane Roe, published in 2020. In your current work, you want to reference this earlier paper. Your in-text citation would be (Doe et al., 2020). In the reference list, you would provide the full citation including all authors: Doe, J., Roe, J., & You, A. A. (2020). *Title of article*. *Journal Title*, *Volume*(Issue), Page numbers. It's critical to represent authorship accurately; even if your contribution to the previous work was significant, the citation acknowledges the collaborative effort.
How do I list my own publication in the references section using APA?
To cite your own previously published work in APA style, treat yourself as the author just like any other author. Include your name (last name, initial(s)), the year of publication, the title of the work, and the publication information (journal title, volume, issue, and page numbers for journal articles, or publisher information for books). The key is to accurately and consistently represent the publication details so that readers can locate the source.
When crafting the citation, remember to adhere to the specific format requirements for the type of source you're citing. For instance, a journal article will follow a different format than a book chapter or a website. Pay close attention to capitalization rules, italicization of the journal title, and the correct punctuation. Ensuring accuracy in these details maintains the credibility of your work and avoids any implication of misrepresentation.
For example, if you are citing a journal article you wrote, the citation might look like this: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. *Title of Journal, Volume*(Issue), Page numbers. https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxxxx. For a book, it would be: Author, A. A. (Year). *Title of book*. Publisher. Remember to include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available, as this provides a stable link to the source.
And there you have it! Citing yourself in APA style might seem a little strange at first, but hopefully, this guide has cleared things up. Thanks for taking the time to learn, and we hope you'll come back again for more helpful writing tips and tricks!