In our newest "how can we help you?" thread, Elisa (editor's note: not our own Elisa!) writes:
Hello and thanks for the great work you have been doing so far! I was wondering if you would consider dedicating a post or thread to plagiarism in academia. I would be interested in hearing from people whose work has been plagiarized in some way or another by their advisors, colleagues, or students. Sometimes plagiarism is very difficult to detect (people can steal your working arguments, ideas, and project plans not simply your unpublished drafts) but it hurts deeply. As an early career scholar I have seen my project being taken and used by a more senior colleague I was collaborating with. I presented my project in multiple occasions, so my drafts were very well-known, and I only published a paper that drew on some parts of the project I presented. It's difficult to broach the subject with the colleague who was so interested in my project to the point of appropriating my own ideas and arguments (even the bibliography!). I would appreciate some help and advice by people who have been in a similar situation, if possible. Thank you!
Another reader ('me') responded:
Elisa
I do not think this is the place to resolve such issues. You need to talk to someone on a research ethics board at the institution or institutions where you work. Begin with a consultation. Then they may advise you to raise a complaint formally, but within the institution's framework.
I certainly don't think the Cocoon is the place to make plagiarism accusations, or to 'resolve' them. But I do think the general issue is worth discussing, for several reasons. First, my sense–from things I've heard people say online and in person–is that this sort of problem, while perhaps not common, is not exactly uncommon either. Second, my sense is that for early-career people in particular, things just aren't as simple as 'me' suggests (i.e. talking with a research ethics board at your institution). Why? The problem, of course, has to do with actual and perceived power differentials. As some of the sexual misconduct scandals in philosophy illustrated years ago, institutions and individuals in them can be all too willing to protect eminent figures, even going so far as to retaliate against accusers. Imagine, then, being a grad student faced with an unethical advisor stealing your ideas. What are you going to do: lodge a formal accusation against your advisor? Perhaps. However, I assume that many of us might be so afraid of what that might mean for our career or reputation in our department and beyond that we might be too afraid to say anything to anyone about it, let alone lodge a formal accusation.
To make a long story short, my own sense–again, from what I have heard and seen–is that, for the most part, when early-career people face this kind of situation, they kind of have to "eat it" (that is, do nothing). Am I wrong? It would be good, I think, to hear from others who encountered these kinds of situations. Did you consult with an ethics committee, as 'me' suggested? If so, did you make a complaint? If so, were your allegations investigated in good faith, or not? Were you retaliated against? If you didn't do anything, why not? Were you simply too afraid, for more or less the reasons given above?
To be clear, the Cocoon is not the place to give any details on the above. I cannot, due to the Cocoon's mission as well as for legal reasons, approve any comments containing any details–either explicit or implied–that could potentially be used to identify individuals or institutions. So, I ask readers to err on the side of generalities, such as "No, I don't think my accusation was investigated in good faith", "Yes, I think I was retaliated against", as opposed to "Here's how I was retaliated against…" (please don't do the latter!). I think it is very important to be extremely careful here. I mostly want to get a general picture of the issues that early-career people face here, so that readers (and members of the discipline more generally) can get a clearer picture of things, including whether early-career people simply hide their concerns out of fear (which, again, I suspect may often be the case).
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