Can I paraphrase a conference paper I wrote in my dissertation?

Question

During my dissertation, I wrote a conference paper that has been accepted but that will only be published after I deliver my dissertation.

I now want to paraphrase the content of that paper into my dissertation because it is really relevant. I've heard that this is a relatively normal practice with PhD thesis, where whole articles are used as a chapters. Is it fine if I do something like this in my dissertation if I add a disclamer or cite my article (that is not yet published)? Or should I re-write it from scratch to avoid plagiarism?

Answer 1

The conference website will, with near certainty, state their policy on this matter. Most (in my field, at least) give permission for re-publication in your dissertation.

The burden is on you to:

• Find out what the policy is,
• Find out what your institution's policy is,
• Adhere to these policies, and
• Cite your sources appropriately.

(Note, in rare cases, the conference policy might be "You have to e-mail the conference for permission." In that case, expect that process to take a long time.)

As a matter of common sense, this is also something you should discuss with your advisor.

Answer 2

As with any "should this be in my dissertation?" question, the answer is "ask your advisor".

That said, plagiarism is unacknowledged copying. You can paraphrase your paper or even include parts of it verbatim in your thesis as long as you acknowledge the prior appearance of those ideas or words. Even a complete rewrite does not relieve you of the responsibility to point out that the ideas come from your earlier work.