Thesis will be reviewed : How dangerous plagiarism can be allegations for Franziska Giffey?

Federal Minister for family Affairs Franziska Giffey is regarded as bearer of hope of the social Democrats – but now she sees with sensitive allegations: plagiarism hunters have taken their thesis under the magnifying glass, and violations of scientific Standards established. Now the Free University of Berlin must examine the allegations.

What is throwing the plagiarism hunters to her?

To 49 of 205 pages of your thesis could have plagiarized Giffey and so on just under a quarter of the pages of your Dissertation. The only under the anonymous initials "dcl" searchable documentation of the platform "VroniPlag Wiki,". So far, there are documented in 73 fragments, "which can be classified as plagiarism". 36 it should be so-called obfuscation, or complete plagiarism, in cases in which Giffey passages from texts of other authors without referring to it. In the case of 36 other fragments you've specified the source, "the Acquisition, however, is not sufficiently characterised". In the case of such a "pawn sacrifice" plagiarists after a paragraph is a reference to the source, write but more of it, without this being stated.

To sources that mention Giffey at any point of their work, according to VroniPlag, a Wikipedia-entry about "Deliberative democracy" and a document from the Committee for culture and education of the European Parliament. In addition, the plagiarism hunter Giffey "arbitrary references before throwing". In at least 68 cases, you give proof of your statements, sources, "which are chosen seemingly arbitrarily, or with which these (so) do not occupy". It gives the "suspicion of a deliberately misleading, against better knowledge, were an indication of inaccurate information sources".

How to VroniPlag works?

VroniPlag is a so-called Wiki, a publicly accessible website, the contents of which are continuously created by users. Researchers from various German universities to Work there in their spare time evidence of unclean science. Only a few plagiarism hunters are known by name. With meticulous attention to detail you are looking for passages of text that were copied from other works without this appropriate. The can literally be written-off paragraphs, as well as meaningful Acquisitions without indication of source.

The VroniPlag Wiki has been around since 2011, the Name goes back to the first case, the plagiarism hunters are made, the thesis of Veronika Sat, called the "Vroni". The daughter of former Bavarian Minister President Edmund Stoiber (CSU) was deprived of the title of doctor but. Previously, those who have examined the doctoral thesis of the former defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg had found together, in the "GuttenPlag". The Name of VroniPlag remained, even though the creators turned soon to other cases.

in the Meantime have been completed on the website, 203 plagiarism investigations. In more than 70 cases, the affected University recognized the title.

How the Assets of the VroniPlag Wiki judge the case?

actors of the platform, stress that their studies are not completed. It is precisely the "arbitrary references" are to a large extent not yet been spotted, according to the Four-eyes-principle"". Publicly, she has made now but "Robert Schmidt", an Active, speak only anonymously in E-Mail Interviews. In an interview with the "süddeutsche Zeitung" reasoned "Schmidt" the special importance of the Case Giffey.

in His view, also in the case of VroniPlag Berlin law Professor Gerhard confirmed then man the daily mirror. Next to it was striking that Giffey secondary sources used, but not this one, but primary sources provide. The most dangerous type of plagiarism is to write off, because incorrect statements were unaudited. Thus, the falsification of statements could be dropped, "can't live without the science," says Dannemann.

How to Giffeys case, in comparison with other plagiarism cases?

plagiarism hunter "Robert Schmidt" compares Giffeys approach with the of Annette Schavan lost her PhD at the University of Düsseldorf and that is why as education Minister had to resign. "Clean scope" is the extent of the plagiarism, comparable, he said the "SZ". However, because of the arbitrary references to the cradle Giffeys misconduct is severe. The man sees, but points out that in other cases, by politicians, very much more whole passages or chapters have been written off. However, start to fail in behavior much earlier, even if you "yew two sentences here, a paragraph there," a stick – like Giffey.

How dangerous can be the charges for Giffey?

How quickly a promising political career because of accusations of plagiarism, end, has shown to be the case Guttenberg. After the withdrawal of the doctor title in 2011, the CSU had to force a politician and as a Minister of defense. In Giffeys Dissertation only a suspicion in the room for the time being. Actually, the plagiarism-hunters wanted to call your name in public when the investigation is completed.

As the Minister of the allegations, learned, rejected this and stressed that she had written her Dissertation, "to the best of our Knowledge and belief". At the same time, Giffey took the escape to the front of you asked the Free University of Berlin, to check your work. "The investigation to clarify the allegations will now be initiated in a timely manner of the FU Berlin," said Giffey to the daily mirror. "As long as any other comment from me is prohibited."

The Minister wants to create, the allegations seem to quickly get out of the world. Finally, it is traded in the Berlin SPD as a possible successor to mayor Michael Müller.

Giffeys hope could be directed to the fact that the FU does not come to the conclusion that the allegations are serious enough to revoke the title. So defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) had their academic degrees keep, although VroniPlag had objected 47 plagiarism in their 62-page thesis. The Medical University of Hannover, relieved the Minister, in 2016, of the intention to deceive. The FU, however, had not yet "decided in all the VroniPlag Wiki cases, to withdraw the doctorate," said then man.

to the suspicion of plagiarism "VroniPlag Wiki," examines doctoral thesis of Franziska Giffey

In the Berlin SPD, and in the Willy-Brandt-Haus, meanwhile, is watched by supporters and naysayers, exactly how Giffey deal with such a crisis.