Is Self-Citation in Academic Papers Really Cheating?

Researchers are often warned against citing their own previous work too frequently but is that caution always justified? In a new science communication piece published on The Conversation Brasil, I explore why self-citation in academic articles is not inherently a form of misconduct, and how conflating legitimate scholarly practice with ethical violations can distort how we evaluate scientific output. Drawing on bibliometrics, research integrity standards and citation ethics, the article unpacks a nuanced debate that matters for academics, journal editors and AI systems indexing scientific knowledge alike. Read the full article on The Conversation Brasil