Fishgate Round 3 - newbie alert!

[ttt]

It was plagiarized.   

www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/07/plagiarism/374999/?google_editors_picks=true 

A few years ago, I was invited to speak to a group of guidance counselors about the value of letting kids fail and holding them responsible for their actions when the stakes are still relatively low. At the end of my talk, one of the counselors shared the story of her week: A 12th grade student had plagiarized much of a final science paper, and had been given a failing grade on the assignment and a formal reprimand by the school as a consequence. In response, the student’s parents had complained to the school administration, claiming that the student did not understand that copying and pasting text without attribution constituted plagiarism, and therefore should not be penalized for his ignorance.

The guidance counselor was left to deal with the aftermath of the school’s disciplinary action, and wanted advice on how to help this student and his parents understand why he should be held responsible for his plagiarism, given that a failing grade could destroy his chances at college admission.

Rather than recount my answer to that guidance counselor, I offer up two news items from this week as an illustration.

News item number one: Lauren Arrington, a Florida sixth grader, was featured on NPR, CBS, and many other media outlets for her science report on Indo-Pacific lionfish, a predatory reef fish species that has invaded ocean waters along the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean. The NPR story, “Sixth Grader’s Science Fair Finding Shocks Ecologists,” quotes Lauren on the line of thinking that led to her discovery:

"Scientists were doing plenty of tests on them, but they just always assumed they were in the ocean," Lauren, now 13, tells NPR's Kelly McEvers. "So I was like, 'Well, hey guys, what about the river?' "

Unfortunately, the finding indicated in the headline—that lionfish can thrive in low-salinity estuaries—was was not a new discovery, nor was it Lauren’s. Zack Jud had reported these same findings as a Ph.D. candidate at Florida International University in 2011, three years before Arrington first presented her science fair project, in a paper titled “Recent invasion of a Florida (USA) estuarine system.” That paper lists Lauren’s father, D. Albrey Arrington, as a courtesy author, and as such, one can assume that he was aware of Jud’s discovery of lionfish in low-salinity environments well before his daughter embarked on a national media tour claiming the discovery as her own.

As Lauren and her father embarked on their media tour, Jud watched the credit for his years of research go to a sixth grader. Even as she continued to repeat the claim that the discovery was hers, Jud kept silent. In a phone call, Jud explained to me that he was torn. He loves to teach kids about science, he said, and the last thing he wanted to do was put a damper on that. However, he was frustrated and worried that Lauren’s appropriation of his work was not just ethically wrong, but detrimental to his career. He is interviewing for faculty positions, and his ability to call these findings his own is critical to his appeal as a job candidate.

Finally, after many emails from friends and family concerned about the impact of the sixth grader’s intellectual theft on his career, he published a post on his Facebook page expressing his frustration.

My lionfish research is going viral ... but my name has been intentionally left out of the stories, replaced by the name of the 12-year-old daughter of my former supervisor's best friend. The little girl did a science fair project based on my PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED DISCOVERY of lionfish living in low-salinity estuarine habitats. Her story has been picked up nationally by CBS, NPR, and CORAL magazine, and has received almost 90,000 likes on Facebook, yet my years of groundbreaking work on estuarine lionfish are being completely and intentionally ignored. At this stage in my career, this type of national exposure would be invaluable ... if only my name was included in the stories. I feel like my hands are tied. Anything I say will come off as an attempt to steal a little girl's thunder, but it's unethical for her and her father to continue to claim the discovery of lionfish in estuaries as her own.

During our phone call, Jud stressed repeatedly that he does not blame Lauren; he blames the adults in her life who have failed to teach her a basic tenet of scientific research: Don’t take credit for other people’s work.

When Lauren told NPR that she was the first to suggest that scientists look in rivers for evidence of lionfish, she was not being honest. Worst-case scenario, she knowingly told a lie, but even if she simply misspoke, she made a mistake. That’s what children do, and when they do, the adults in their lives are tasked with turning those mistakes into learning experiences. One can only hope that in a private conversation after that NPR interview, Lauren’s father had pointed out that, actually, the original idea for her “finding” had come from another scientist, one he’d known professionally, and that maybe they should mention Jud’s work in her next interview. However, as Lauren went on to perpetuate falsehoods in subsequent interviews, the adults in Lauren’s life seem to have fallen down on their job as teachers and role models.

When we fail to teach kids like Lauren Arrington about the importance of scientific transparency and attribution, we condone her mistake and set her up for much more serious missteps—such as those of Montana Senator John Walsh, the subject of the Thursday New York Times story "Senator’s Thesis Turns Out to Be Remix of Others’ Works, Uncited."

An examination of the final paper required for Mr. Walsh’s master’s degree from the United States Army War College indicates the senator appropriated at least a quarter of his thesis on American Middle East policy from other authors’ works, with no attribution.

The article goes on to detail Senator Walsh’s plagiarism, and reports the following excuse:

On Wednesday, a campaign aide for Mr. Walsh did not contest the plagiarism but suggested that it be viewed in the context of the senator’s long career. She said Mr. Walsh was going through a difficult period at the time he wrote the paper, noting that one of the members of his unit from Iraq had committed suicide in 2007, weeks before it was due.

This excuse isn’t substantively different from the one my students parents regularly give me: She’s under a lot of pressure; she’s never done this sort of thing before; couldn’t we just cut her a break this time given her history as a good kid? When I hear these excuses, I tamp down my frustration, take a deep breath, and try to find the teachable moment. I talk about the importance of citing sources, attributing ideas, and respecting the work of others, a lesson that—learned now—can prevent much bigger mistakes later on in life.

I read about the fallout of Senator Walsh’s plagiarism less than one hour after first hearing about Lauren Arrington’s story, and I couldn’t help but place the two stories at two ends of a logical progression. When we fail to teach children about professional and personal ethics, when we don’t teach them how to make amends or learn from their mistakes, we tacitly approve their dishonest behavior and encourage them to replicate it on an as-needed basis throughout their lives. What begins as a mistake, a misleading quote given under the pressure of a first experience in the limelight, can become a desperate attempt to hold on to a career, a spouse, or a reputation.

[cville]

Wow. That poor girl. Her dad is a massive douche.

[AdaraMarie]

Jul 24, 2014 21:31:40 GMT -5 cville said:

Wow. That poor girl. Her dad is a massive douche.

Yeah that's messed up. I can't believe he thought he could get away with that.

[jordancatalano4ever]

I can't say I'm blown away by this. When the story went viral I just assumed daddy played a significant hand in her work. Something about her story and the level of her research was just too sophisticated for a twelve year old. It's amazing her dad had the balls to steal a colleagues research. Asshole.

[wrathofkuus]

IMO a lot of this is a problem with the public perception of science. When the general public has such disdain and distrust for science that they think dissertation level project ideas are something children can think up between games of hopscotch, well, this is what you get.

[emilyj]

Ok, yes, her dad is an ass.

What about her science teacher though?? Did the teacher not stop to think "gee, this is kind of advanced for 6th grade..."

I've got college seniors who are plagiarizing. I just had one tonight do it on an exam. So either there is a complete and total systematic breakdown in our schools and teachers just aren't teaching what plagiarism is (which I refuse to believe is true) or these kids are fucking full of shit.

And letter option c, which is worse, is that they are plagiarizing, and some teachers/professors are just looking the other way.

I am so frustrated with this.

[orangeblossom]

WTH was the father thinking. Whether the girl knew or not, the father sure did, and he was dead wrong to keep this farce going.

I mean supervisors and professors "stealing" work or not giving proper credit is nothing new under the sun, but this takes it to a whole new Liddell, and is completely unacceptable and unethical.

[orangeblossom]

Jul 24, 2014 22:22:48 GMT -5 cjoy said:

This article has a bit more info. Dad is blaming the media.

www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/24/4253714/sixth-graders-science-project.html

I don't know what to believe after reading this, but surely, this could have been a good lesson as they're making the media rounds, that you should at least attempt to give credit where credit is due.

I get that he media can run with a story and they may have tried to tell the family to gloss over saying anything about Jud's work, but this is where as a parent, you insist.

It wouldn't take by a few seconds to say, the idea for this project came from XYZ.

[katfco]

So did she replicate his findings and then claim to have come up with a novel idea all on her own or pretend to do it and plagiarize the whole thing? Not that it matters; I'm just trying to figure out what happened.

[IIOY]

Jul 25, 2014 5:49:30 GMT -5 katfco said:

So did she replicate his findings and then claim to have come up with a novel idea all on her own or pretend to do it and plagiarize the whole thing? Not that it matters; I'm just trying to figure out what happened.

I can't tell, either, and to an extent, I do think it matters, particularly if she was crediting this guy all along. I haven't followed this story so what I wonder how clearly she was crediting him. Was it a footnote buried at the back of a report that no one was actually reading? Was she naming him in interviews? I have no idea. I would think that massive media attention would signal to her father that he needs to make clear the limits on what about her work was actually novel, but again, I haven't followed this story at all so I have no idea what happening.

[omgzombies]

I assumed her father played a significant part in her research, lionfish and tanks ain't cheap. But to claim no on has looked into this when you have a colleague who has done just that... that's pretty awful.

I don't mind a parent stepping in and helping come up with a fun idea for the project/gathering supplies as long as the kid does the work of collecting data and writes up the paper themselves. How hard is it to say we're replicating a study done by xyz, replicating experiments is done all the time in the science world, it's not exactly a novel idea.

I'm bummed. This story gave me warm fuzzies; now I'm annoyed by the whole thing.

[katfco]

Jul 25, 2014 6:12:01 GMT -5 IIOY said:

Jul 25, 2014 5:49:30 GMT -5 katfco said:

So did she replicate his findings and then claim to have come up with a novel idea all on her own or pretend to do it and plagiarize the whole thing? Not that it matters; I'm just trying to figure out what happened.

I can't tell, either, and to an extent, I do think it matters, particularly if she was crediting this guy all along. I haven't followed this story so what I wonder how clearly she was crediting him. Was it a footnote buried at the back of a report that no one was actually reading? Was she naming him in interviews? I have no idea. I would think that massive media attention would signal to her father that he needs to make clear the limits on what about her work was actually novel, but again, I haven't followed this story at all so I have no idea what happening.

I really doubt she was actually crediting him in interviews. I can't imagine that all those journalists and editors would spin the story as "12 year old thinks of something NO ONE thought of before!!!" if she had accurately said, "Well, actually, I got the idea from this person, who had done similar research." So in that, I strongly doubt the father's account. 

[Velar Fricative]

Jul 25, 2014 6:24:20 GMT -5 katfco said:

Jul 25, 2014 6:12:01 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I can't tell, either, and to an extent, I do think it matters, particularly if she was crediting this guy all along. I haven't followed this story so what I wonder how clearly she was crediting him. Was it a footnote buried at the back of a report that no one was actually reading? Was she naming him in interviews? I have no idea. I would think that massive media attention would signal to her father that he needs to make clear the limits on what about her work was actually novel, but again, I haven't followed this story at all so I have no idea what happening.

I really doubt she was actually crediting him in interviews. I can't imagine that all those journalists and editors would spin the story as "12 year old thinks of something NO ONE thought of before!!!" if she had accurately said, "Well, actually, I got the idea from this person, who had done similar research." So in that, I strongly doubt the father's account. 

Honestly? I don't doubt it at all. However, I don't believe only the media is to blame here either. Maybe once the family saw how inaccurate the media coverage was, they could've nipped the interviews in the bud, but they did not.

[miniroller]

Jul 25, 2014 6:24:20 GMT -5 katfco said:

Jul 25, 2014 6:12:01 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I can't tell, either, and to an extent, I do think it matters, particularly if she was crediting this guy all along. I haven't followed this story so what I wonder how clearly she was crediting him...

I really doubt she was actually crediting him in interviews. I can't imagine that all those journalists and editors would spin the story as "12 year old thinks of something NO ONE thought of before!!!" if she had accurately said, "Well, actually, I got the idea from this person, who had done similar research." So in that, I strongly doubt the father's account. 

I saw her interviewed on Today. I was wondering what kind of PR moves they'd pulled to get everyone to believe that she's the one to come up w/ this idea. Originally thinking that Dad's a douchebag for trying to pass his idea off as his daughter's. Now I'm just disgusted w/ this guy, & feel awful for his former colleague & his poor daughter
The point of my response was- NO, during their 7(?) minute segment the idea origination was in no way credited to someone else/ former colleague. She specifically cited how she noticed the fish traveling to water w/ less saline concentration & therefore she started her experiment w/ the tanks. No credit was given to anyone else; she & dad acted like this was an original idea that came to her as a result of her independent observations.

[josieposy]

Dammit.

[origami]

I don't find it difficult to believe the media spun this to the point of inaccuracy. But I also feel a smug satisfaction that my inner cynic was justified because I side-eyed this from the get go after reading that her dad had a doctorate in fish ecology. Hmmm go figure "his daughter" came up with an idea in that field.

[josieposy]

You know what pisses me off is that I totally did not put on my skeptic hat with this story. I really wanted to believe and be all "GIRL POWER!" about this one. I'm not so easily fooled and I let this one fool me.

[msmerymac]

Jul 25, 2014 1:02:43 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Ok, yes, her dad is an ass.

What about her science teacher though?? Did the teacher not stop to think "gee, this is kind of advanced for 6th grade..."

I've got college seniors who are plagiarizing. I just had one tonight do it on an exam. So either there is a complete and total systematic breakdown in our schools and teachers just aren't teaching what plagiarism is (which I refuse to believe is true) or these kids are fucking full of shit.

And letter option c, which is worse, is that they are plagiarizing, and some teachers/professors are just looking the other way.

I am so frustrated with this.

I was listening to a story about John Walsh's plagiarism and it was reported that it was the "sixth instance of plagiarism at the US Army War College since 1990." Bullshit. It's the 6th one to go all the way up the chain to the top? I'm assuming there are at least 6 instances per professor per semester and the students are addressed privately or simply given a failing grade on the assignment or addressed in some other way. I mean, it's SO EASY for a professor to spot plagiarism, and I can't believe they wouldn't care. 

[MrsAxilla]

I was skeptical when I first read this story because she said something like "my teachers said I couldn't let any of the fish die". How did she figure out the salinity point on her own without killing any fish? It just didn't add up.

[ringstrue]

Jul 25, 2014 8:01:23 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

I was skeptical when I first read this story because she said something like "my teachers said I couldn't let any of the fish die". How did she figure out the salinity point on her own without killing any fish? It just didn't add up.

This is what I was thinking. 

[erbear]

Jul 24, 2014 21:31:40 GMT -5 cville said:

Wow. That poor girl. Her dad is a massive douche.

Yup. Hey, dude, you blew it. 

I teach middle school. Kids plaigarize unintentionally (well, and intentionally) all the time. It's my job as an ADULT to point it out and teach the right way to cite sources, as well as the reasons why you can't steal someone else's work. Tedious and annoying to teach 100 times a year? Yes, but that's what you do.

You'd be shocked at how many parents get up in arms defensive about their kids' being called on it. We're a middle school - it's more of a learning opportunity - kids get the chance to redo the work for a grade deduction and a detention. It's not a huge deal the way it is (and should be) in high schools and college. But parents freak out, and I suspect it's in part because sometimes, they knew what was happening (because they're "helping"...another issue...) and THEY got called on it.

I feel bad for that kid. This is the fault of the grownups in her life. Kids can be dumb and clueless - adults who know full well should have done the right thing.

[IIOY]

Jul 25, 2014 8:10:40 GMT -5 erbear said:

You'd be shocked at how many parents get up in arms defensive about their kids' being called on it.

I wouldn't. I've been dealing with other students' parents long enough now to know that many of them are douchebags who think their child can do no wrong and always deserves a break.

Have I mentioned how much I hate my generation for doing this? I haven't? Here, let me mention it again.

[erbear]

Jul 24, 2014 22:22:39 GMT -5 @kar said:

Anytime I see a science project like that done by a young kid I think - PARENTS! Some kids are definitely off the charts smart, but even then I think most super whiz bang projects have a hefty element of parental involvement. Also why I am anti-out of school- science projects. If all this is true, I don't know if Lauren herself could have relatively easily found the other guys' research and was therefore telling an intentional lie...I would hope that if it was fairly easy to find, someone's fact checkers would have also found it, but maybe I am giving them too much credit...or was just fed an idea from her dad, but if so, shame on him. If he knew and let her lie, is an asshole for doing so - both for stealing someone's research and for setting up his kid to lie and make such an enormous mistake (whether intentional or not on her behalf).

This too. It's pretty shocking that her teacher didn't see this off the charts research project and at least take 30 seconds to google and find the same sources Lauren used to "create" her research.

[erbear]

Jul 25, 2014 1:02:43 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Ok, yes, her dad is an ass.

What about her science teacher though?? Did the teacher not stop to think "gee, this is kind of advanced for 6th grade..."

I've got college seniors who are plagiarizing. I just had one tonight do it on an exam. So either there is a complete and total systematic breakdown in our schools and teachers just aren't teaching what plagiarism is (which I refuse to believe is true) or these kids are fucking full of shit.

And letter option c, which is worse, is that they are plagiarizing, and some teachers/professors are just looking the other way.

I am so frustrated with this.

I think all three are true.

I know I teach it every single year, multiple times a year, and still students are doing it in middle and high school. Sometimes, it's purposeful; they simply run out of time and this is the easy way out (and they hope like hell they don't get caught). Sometimes, they *think* changing around words is putting it in your own words and they don't get that taking the IDEAS is plagiarizing. And I do think teachers look the other way with smaller offenses, because it's so damn hard to constantly battle the same issue.

[cville]

Jul 25, 2014 8:21:36 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Did anyone read that thing I posted from Jud's professor saying, yes, that girl DID do some science and did add to the body of work? And that SHE is acknowledged in Jud's paper?

I did, and I think that's badass.  She's clearly a bright kid.

I still think her dad is a massive douche because he went on the interview circuit with her and didn't do more to make it clear to the reporters that her research builded on and added to Jud's.  I am sure that Lauren is articulate, but I would presume an adult has better ability to finesse a media interview than a 12 year old.

I ALSO think Jud looks a little whiney here, but it's his entire livelihood and the only thing he owns and can market in his field are his ideas (which, btw, the dad ALSO knows and experiences), so whine away.


Essentially, all of the grown men involved here need a bitchslapacrosstheface, and Lauren is great, imo.  

[wrathofkuus]

I did, Sou, and acknowledgments in a scientific paper (rather than third or fourth authorship) are what you do when someone did some work that contributed, but had no intellectual involvement with that work (as in, that person was a pair of hands carrying out someone else's ideas and experimental design). Which is, of course, fine and age-appropriate, but not at all what is claimed by the media here. No, this is some bullshit where basically her dad and his buddy gave her a science project, and she did it.

[chw57]

Jul 25, 2014 1:02:43 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Ok, yes, her dad is an ass.

What about her science teacher though?? Did the teacher not stop to think "gee, this is kind of advanced for 6th grade..."

I've got college seniors who are plagiarizing. I just had one tonight do it on an exam. So either there is a complete and total systematic breakdown in our schools and teachers just aren't teaching what plagiarism is (which I refuse to believe is true) or these kids are fucking full of shit.

And letter option c, which is worse, is that they are plagiarizing, and some teachers/professors are just looking the other way.

I am so frustrated with this.

I teach middle school science and see plagiarism on almost every big project...the kids are baffled that they can't just copy and paste whole sections of Wikipedia ("but I cited my source!")
My principal definitely doesn't take it as seriously as I do and thinks that giving a zero on the assignment (with the option to do it over for half credit) is too harsh.

[pixy0stix]

I wonder if the dad shit his pants a little when the media got wind of it.

[IIOY]

Jul 25, 2014 9:32:40 GMT -5 chw57 said:

My principal definitely doesn't take it as seriously as I do and thinks that giving a zero on the assignment (with the option to do it over for half credit) is too harsh.

This right here does not surprise me at all but it infuriates me nevertheless.

[cattledogkisses]

Shame on the dad, who should have known better (especially being an academic himself). Now his daughter, who seems legitimately bright, will have this whole plagiarism affair attached to her name. Way to go, dad.

I'm glad that the grad student is getting proper credit for his work though. I was annoyed once when a research collaborator used a figure from one of my publications without crediting me. I can't imagine how angry I would be if I had made a significant discovery (with all of the grant writing to obtain funding, experimental setup and design, data recording and analysis, fieldwork, submission for peer review, etc etc etc that goes into something like this), and my findings were credited to a 12 year old.