Gerald Posner, serial plagiarist, takes another hit for plagiarized work in his most recent book. I’m struck–again–by how the go-to excuse claimed by exposed plagiarists over the past few years comes down to research methodology. They’re writing so much, and have so many sources at hand in creating all this writing, that they simply become overwhelmed and lose track of what’s their’s and what’s others’ writing. So…if that really is the case, doesn’t it suggest that these plagiarists should a) practice more care with this “research,” and b) write less, or write less rapidly, if the speed and volume of their work is compromising their ability to practice appropriate care? Somehow the mea culpas never get this far. Clearly, it’s better to say “I am slipshod and careless” than to say, “I am a thief,” though the net result–especially for these repeat offenders–is the same.
