It is the authors' responsibility to make sure that all information gleaned from outside sources—including their own published work is properly attributed and, if needed, permission is acquired. It is imperative that authors abstain from too self-citation and do not replicate references from unread works. Authors should not mention advertising or advertorial content, nor should they display partiality when referring their own, their friends', peers', or their institution's publications.

As per the rules set forth by COPE, "original wording directly quoted from other researchers' publications should be enclosed in quotation marks and appropriately cited." Authors' own works are likewise subject to this technique. A discussion document on citation manipulation by COPE has been released, which includes best practices guidelines.