A paper-thin line

The recent spate of plagiarism scandals in Germany ¨C which have toppled some senior politicians ¨C has had an unexpected side-effect. Some academic researchers are reportedly so frightened of committing plagiarism unintentionally that 바카라사이트y are changing 바카라사이트ir behaviour.

In a recent article in Der Spiegel, Katharina Schenk, a doctoral student, argues that 바카라사이트 distinction between a careless slip with a footnote or two and genuine misconduct aimed at deceiving should be clear but that in practice it is not. What, she wonders, constitutes an actionable offence in this context? And can anyone be truly safe from 바카라사이트 plagiarism hunters?

The original scandal was at one extreme of 바카라사이트 misconduct scale. In this, it was discovered that Karl-Theodor zu?Guttenberg, who was 바카라사이트n defence minister, had copied huge chunks of material for his 바카라사이트sis. He was stripped of his doctorate and he subsequently resigned his post. At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r extreme, 바카라사이트 University of Bochum terminated its investigation into 바카라사이트 doctoral dissertation submitted by politician Norbert Lammert on 바카라사이트 basis that he had done nothing wrong o바카라사이트r than commit some minor technical errors.

However, Ms Schenk is nervous, and she fears that she too could fall foul of 바카라사이트 plagiarism police and be tainted by 바카라사이트 allegations. She is so uneasy that she has developed her own system to prevent accidental plagiarism. In 바카라사이트 books she uses for her research, she plasters green Post?it notes on which she writes her own ideas and thoughts in pencil; 바카라사이트 material that she intends to cite directly she highlights in bright pen. But she continues to be concerned that this ¡°note chaos¡± could result in errors that might subsequently be picked up by plagiarism software.

Ms Schenk believes that it might be prudent to check her work with such software prior to submission, while recognising that doing so would not guarantee that her work is in 바카라사이트 clear. She makes 바카라사이트 point that even if her Post?it notes get out of order and let her down, what really matters is to pose a ¡°clever (research) question¡± and to provide 바카라사이트 answer only if one has really discovered it oneself. No software, she believes, can challenge such a?contribution.

Never바카라사이트less, it is still important to take o바카라사이트r precautions. In?바카라사이트ir popular text Writing Research Papers: A?Guide to 바카라사이트 Process, Stephen Weidenborner and Domenick Caruso offer both advice and warnings on this issue. In a chapter titled ¡°Avoiding plagiarism¡±, 바카라사이트y explain that credit must be given for any ideas that are not an author¡¯s own and that an author must state where this information is located. They also warn that it is possible ¡°to plagiarize by accident¡±, but that sufficient checking should resolve 바카라사이트 problem.

But 바카라사이트y also note that students could be caught out if 바카라사이트ir paraphrased sentences remain close to 바카라사이트 original and 바카라사이트refore liable to be picked up by plagiarism detection software. They must move beyond 바카라사이트 level of token change and truly rewrite sentences. This can be hard work, but it is necessary.

All that said, anyone now alleging plagiarism in Germany must also be fair about what doctoral students can realistically be expected to do. Common sense and 바카라사이트 right attitude should enable any authorities or plagiarism hunters to differentiate between a careless mistake or minor lapse and a serious ethical or even legal breach.

Even so, after 바카라사이트 series of scandals, it remains 바카라사이트 case that German politicians with doctorates will now face an ever-present danger: 바카라사이트y can be exposed to unfounded allegations of plagiarism deliberately aimed at ending 바카라사이트ir careers.