To this day I vividly remember my fascinating but very complicated work related to my PhD thesis. My research was devoted to Old Polish literature, so I spent most of my time in long-established libraries, which had very unique, special atmosphere. Of course, there were many difficulties during this time. Especially complicated was the research I conducted in preparation for the first chapter of my dissertation. I spent many hours in libraries and at home when I wrote and repeatedly rewrote the first chapter.
After a few months, when I finished one part of my PhD dissertation and started preparing another, I wanted to announce to the world at large what topic I was working on, and used a part of this chapter as a paper which I sent to a scientific journal. The editor replied that the article would be published.
Time passed, and I successfully completed my doctoral studies. I was very happy, because I was employed at the university and had the opportunity to continue my research on Old Polish literature, which consistently remained my intellectual passion. Unfortunately, my article was still unpublished, but I was full of energy, thinking very intensively about the topic of my habilitation. I had no information from the editor of the journal, but I decided to wait patiently. One day, about five months after I started my work at the university, I found out that my article appeared in print after about three years of waiting. This waiting time was not very unusual, but there were other red flags. First of all, this article appeared in a prestigious conference monograph, not in the journal it was supposed to be published in.
Additionally, the most important and, at the same time, the most surprising and shocking information was that my article appeared under the name of Deputy Editor in Chief of the journal, who was also a professor of Old Polish literature at a Polish university.
It was a very difficult situation, because appropriation was absolutely apparent, when I compared the article and my chapter side by side. In the concordance there were no disparities between the two works, and structure of the articles was very similar. There was no doubt in my mind that I should decide what the next step would be in this unexpected situation. My article was not only my intellectual property but it was a part of my PhD thesis and it should be my own work exclusively.
Finally, I decided to inform my supervisor and the dean of the faculty, and I also submitted a complaint to the university’s rector, so that the disciplinary and criminal proceedings would be initiated. It was crucial for me to address this matter formally.
After two years, the professor was dismissed from the university and banned from working as an academic teacher for 8 years. The case was covered by press and local TV and commented on by the community from various universities. At the same time, when the disciplinary proceeding ended, the court of law, in turn, found the professor guilty of plagiarism and sentenced him to financial penalty. He also had to pay me a compensation.
This situation was very complicated and frustrating for me as a young researcher and university worker. I consider the details of this matter to be insignificant.
What matters to me more is the support that I received from many people and the subsequent changes and opportunities that appeared in my life thereafter.
When all of the aforementioned procedures started I pulled out all the stops and I was extremely goal-focused. But, thanks to this situation, I realized how many people were on the same page and tried to support my activities related to disciplinary and criminal proceedings. Of course, I met people, who tried to undermine the facts I was describing, but many others encouraged me to prove the truth. On the institutional side I was supported by my thesis supervisor, who was all the time, for months on end, very involved in supporting me. It was significant for me that she was very well informed about the procedures at the university; she understood my rights and tried to show me, what I should do.
Additionally, the dean of the faculty very quickly initiated the procedure, without any doubts that I am the only author of my work. Knowing that such important persons at the university were genuinely convinced of my ill-treatment, encouraged me to hope against hope. Another person who was really involved in helping me with disciplinary and criminal proceedings was prof. Marek Wroński, who still supports the victims of plagiarism in Poland.
At first, when the situation began, I felt like a victim, pretty scared and shocked. Later, after several months, I started to be not just a victim, but the person who is totally aware of my rights and aims, and who knows, how to defend her case.
Of course, the most important support I had all the time was from my family members, especially my mother and brother, who were still close to me. The fact that my family was really devoted to solving my problems, was crucial to my emotional condition. Firstly, I could feel safe and sure that, regardless of circumstances, they would not only try to help me, but that they fully understood my complex situation. Day by day they listened with patience about the progress in my case, about new problems and challenges. I am absolutely aware that without their wisdom, understanding, constant presence and acceptance of my choices, I could not maintain balance in this difficult situation.
Therefore, especially thanks to my family and also my friends I felt safe and sound during all of time when the criminal and disciplinary proceedings were in progress.
Last, but not least, this complicated and difficult situation was a kind of a blessing in disguise. When the disciplinary and criminal proceedings ended, I deeply thought about the problems related to intellectual property, but especially to research integrity. I decided to look at my case in a positive way and took up postgraduate studies in intellectual property protection. Later, I began lectures and workshops for students about intellectual property and research integrity. I understood that part of students may not have a clear and precise understanding of these issues and it is very likely that they might plagiarize other people’s works without knowing that it is plagiarism. Raising awareness relating to these topics is still crucial for me.
Similarly, I consider it an important challenge to be able to explain and show the groups of students that the line between negligence and unconscious plagiarism is very often quite thin, but, on the other hand, the consequences might be very serious for their future lives.
After a few years I started the lectures and workshops for PhD candidates. These classes were strictly related not only to research integrity, but also prevention of scientific misconduct. It has brought me a lot of satisfaction to discuss these issues and observe how my students try to think about their research in a new way, fully aware and mindful of its importance for their future. Since several years, I have also been giving guest lectures at various universities in Poland. The end of my case opened a new chapter in my intellectual passion and supplied new topics for my lectures and workshops, such as: “How to avoid plagiarism?” or “Vademecum of scientific integrity.”
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Prof. Artur Skweres for help with the language editing of the text
About the Author:
Agnieszka Raubo, PhD
Assistant Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
Contact: araubo@amu.edu.pl