When academic integrity is in doubt

+ Trump's immunity claims at court US Edition - Today's top story: Plagiarism is not always easy to define or detect [View in browser]( US Edition | 9 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Why Israel and Lebanon want to avoid war]( - [Seeing a shark regenerate its fin]( - [Taoism’s teachings on health]( Lead story As a crime reporter in the 1990s, I once wrote to a young man who had just been sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in a fatal carjacking. I wanted him to write an open letter to other young men who might be thinking about turning to – or staying in – a life of crime. His first response was full of intelligent questions, such as whether I would distort his words or take them out of context. Once I assured him that I’d quote him accurately, he agreed to write the letter I sought. It came in wonderfully written. He spoke about how he didn’t grow up with the opportunity to take vacations in places like Martha’s Vineyard that privileged children might go. And he accepted responsibility for his crime, stating that he made his bed and now he must lie in it. There was just one problem: Whereas the handwriting in the first letter was small and slanted to the right, the handwriting in the second letter was large and slanted to the left. I concluded the letters couldn’t have been written by the same person. And so as much as I wanted to publish a letter written by this young convicted carjacker, I refrained because I had doubts about its authenticity. Similar questions are being raised about the work of some high-profile academics these days, the latest of whom, of course, is Claudine Gay, the now-former Harvard University president who stepped down from her post amid questions over her leadership, as well as her use of other scholars’ language without proper attribution in some of her research papers. To shine light on the nature and pervasiveness of plagiarism in academia – particularly in the age of artificial intelligence – Roger J. Kreuz, a language and communications expert at the University of Memphis, shares some insights into [how plagiarism is defined and perceived](, as well as how it’s dealt with when it’s detected. [ [Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world](. ] Jamaal Abdul-Alim Education Editor The practice draws different reactions depending on who does it. krisanapong detraphiphat via Getty Images [Plagiarism is not always easy to define or detect]( Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis About two-thirds of students admit to plagiarizing material. Faculty are expected to know better, but they do it, too. How should universities respond? Politics + Society - [Trump’s arguments for immunity not as hopeless as some claim]( Ofer Raban, University of Oregon The former president has raised several legal arguments that do not yet have clear answers. A constitutional scholar says they’re questions worth asking. - [Voters don’t always have final say – state legislatures and governors are increasingly undermining ballot measures that win]( Anne Whitesell, Miami University Election year 2024 will see citizen initiatives on the ballot across the country, some focused on abortion rights. But there’s a growing trend of lawmakers altering initiatives after they have passed. Economy + Business - [Take laughter, add tears − the secret recipe for the most-liked Super Bowl ads]( Niusha Jones, Boise State University; Anne Hamby, Boise State University Researchers examined the emotional content of nearly 300 Super Bowl ads that aired from 2018 to 2022. - [LGBTQ+ workers want more than just pride flags in June]( Dorian Rhea Debussy, The Ohio State University Less hype and more health care, please. Science + Technology - [I set out to investigate where silky sharks travel − and by chance documented a shark’s amazing power to regenerate its sabotaged fin]( Chelsea Black, University of Miami After scientists’ GPS tracking tag was violently removed from one shark’s dorsal fin, they were in for a surprise: The wound didn’t just heal, but the missing tissue grew back. International - [Why both Israel and Hezbollah are eager to avoid tit-for-tat attacks escalating into full-blown war]( Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame Israel and Hezbollah are engaged in tit-for-tat attacks, but a diplomatic path still exists to avoid an escalation. - [Taiwanese election may determine whether Beijing opts to force the issue of reunification]( Meredith Oyen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County A candidate from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party looks set to win the presidency despite Beijing’s pressure and rhetoric. Ethics + Religion - [What Taoism teaches about the body and being healthy]( Michael Naparstek, University of Tennessee A scholar of Daoist rituals explains how the indigenous tradition of China understands the human body as being part of the larger cosmos. Health + Medicine - [Rabies is an ancient, unpredictable and potentially fatal disease − two rabies researchers explain how to protect yourself]( Rodney E. Rohde, Texas State University; Charles Rupprecht, Auburn University An unexpected case of rabies found in an animal can raise concerns for a potential outbreak. Proactive vaccination of both wildlife and people can help protect everyone. Trending on site - [US Supreme Court decision on Trump-Colorado ballot case ‘monumental’ for democracy itself, not just 2024 presidential election]( - [South Korea’s gender imbalance is bad news for men − outnumbering women, many face bleak marriage prospects]( - [The US invented shopping malls, but China is writing their next chapter]( Today's graphic 📈 [A chart showing snow depth measured in inches at a specific Sierra Nevada site from 1998 to 2023. Extreme snow years can block chickadees' nesting areas and access to insects to feed their young. Years with unusually low maximum snow depth can also affect food availability.]( From the story, [The chickadee in the snowbank: A ‘canary in the coal mine’ for climate change in the Sierra Nevada mountains]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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