Re: OA as provision against salami and double publishing

[Phil Davis <pmd8@cornell.edu>]

While most research on plagiarism have been conducted on the 
medical journal, the editorial below, details a very fascinating 
case of plagiarism in the social sciences.  What is most alarming 
is that a more extensive search of the offender's papers 
indicated that he had been plagiarized himself!

Keeping plagiarism at bay - A salutary tale
Martin, BR (Martin, Ben R.)
RESEARCH POLICY, 36 (7): 905-911 SEP 2007
doi:10.1016/j.respol.2007.08.001

Abstract: This editorial examines the question of whether 
plagiarism may be on the increase in the social sciences and, if 
so, what needs to be done to keep the problem in check. It was 
prompted by the discovery of an alert reader in June 2007 that a 
1993 paper in Research Policy appeared to have plagiarised a 1980 
article in the Journal of Business. The allegation was 
investigated, and it was agreed by the Editors that the 1993 
paper constituted a clear and serious case of plagiarism. 
However, the author concerned has published over 100 articles and 
books. Already, two other publications have been judged by the 
editors of the journals concerned to have plagiarised previous 
publications. Two more are under investigation, but the great 
majority of the remainder still remain to be checked. The fact 
that academic misconduct on this scale has gone unchecked over 
such a prolonged period raises serious issues about the efficacy 
of the processes used to police the conduct of researchers. 
*Furthermore, the unexpected discovery that a paper by the author 
under investigation appears itself to have been plagiarised poses 
a fundamental question as to whether plagiarism may be far more 
common than previously assumed.* The editorial concludes that a 
measured degree of vigilance and a greater willingness to pursue 
any well-founded suspicions of research misconduct are required 
by editors, referees, publishers and the wider academic community 
if the scourge of plagiarism is to be kept at bay. (C) 2007 
Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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