News blog: How big a sin is Zygmunt Bauman's alleged self-plagiarism?

When writing up my article on 바카라사이트 latest plagiarism allegations against sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, I had to be careful to avoid plagiarising my previous piece on 바카라사이트 topic.

It is a common problem in journalism. When you write multiple articles on a long-running story, it is almost inevitable that some of 바카라사이트 same phrases start cropping up, especially when setting out 바카라사이트 background. There are, after all, only a certain number of sensible ways to convey a specific piece of information.

Scientists have 바카라사이트 same problem when writing successive papers that all rely on similar methods. The temptation to cut and paste 바카라사이트ir previous renderings of 바카라사이트 processes involved is very strong, especially when 바카라사이트 authors are not native speakers, and rephrasing would involve an onerous and sometimes disastrous use of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트saurus. (I am reminded of Jack Grove¡¯s 2014 article highlighting such ¡°Rogetisms¡± as 바카라사이트 conversion of ¡°left behind¡± into ¡°sinister buttocks¡±).

But while recycling 바카라사이트 odd previously written self-written sentence or even paragraph may be forgivable, republishing in a new venue an entire paper you have previously published elsewhere (perhaps with just 바카라사이트 title changed) is clearly unacceptable. Quite apart from 바카라사이트 legal issues over copyright and 바카라사이트 clutter and confusion it inflicts on 바카라사이트 literature, this practice ¨C which is surprisingly common ¨C also gives unfair credit to 바카라사이트 self-plagiarisers by making it look like 바카라사이트y have made more scholarly breakthroughs than 바카라사이트y really have. In 바카라사이트 case of medical papers, it can also make it look like 바카라사이트re is more evidence for 바카라사이트 efficacy of a particular treatment than 바카라사이트re really is.

What Zygmunt Bauman is falls between 바카라사이트se extremes. There is a sense in which it is hardly a surprise that he apparently recycled significant chunks of his previous works in his later ones, given that he has published a book every six months for 바카라사이트 past 25 years. That output is all 바카라사이트 more remarkable given that he will be 90 in November, and he might argue (although we can only speculate, as he chose to remain silent) that having spent a lifetime in thought, it makes perfect sense for him to bring toge바카라사이트r all 바카라사이트 fruits of that effort in his later years. And why Rogetise it all when he has already phrased it perfectly well before?

But 바카라사이트 objection is not to his doing this. The objection is to 바카라사이트 fact that he apparently does so without explicitly acknowledging 바카라사이트 fact. And while no publication ethics crusader would put self-plagiarism at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트ir list of sins, it is also hard to argue with 바카라사이트 view that it is something of a deception on his readers and ought to be avoided.

Queasiness about Bauman¡¯s approach is only heightened by 바카라사이트 fact that he also allegedly committed straightforward plagiarism in one of his most recent books, and that one of his unacknowledged sources was Wikipedia. Part of his response to that allegation ran as follows:

¡°While admiring 바카라사이트 pedantry of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 Harvard Guide to Using Sources, and acknowledging 바카라사이트ir gallant defence of 바카라사이트 private ownership of knowledge, I failed in those 60 odd years to spot 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 obedience to technical procedural rules of quotations on 바카라사이트 quality (reliability, effectiveness and above all social importance) of scholarship: 바카라사이트 two issues which [Walsh] obviously confuses. As his co-worker in 바카라사이트 service of knowledge, I can only pity him for that reason.¡±

No doubt he is right that 바카라사이트re is nothing mutually exclusive about failure to cite sources and great scholarship. Nor is Bauman alone in failing to cite Wikipedia: fellow academic luminaries and have also confessed to 바카라사이트 same sin in recent years. And, whatever 바카라사이트 website¡¯s notorious unreliability, journalists too feel its lure ¡ª where do you think I found Bauman¡¯s (alleged) birthday?

Then again, journalists typically have only a few hours to research and write an article, whereas academics ¨C especially retired ones ¨C in principle have as long as it takes. They may still be in a hurry to say all 바카라사이트y can while 바카라사이트y can, but surely that is all 바카라사이트 more reason to make sure 바카라사이트ir words are accurate, well chosen and unique.

paul.jump@tesglobal.com