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Original poster

WWYD - friend passing off someone else's work as hers

205 replies

disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 13:31

NC for this, but regular.

I am an academic editor. My friend is an academic. She is married to another academic. I have worked writing from both of them quite extensively.

She normally sends me her papers to look through. I have been reading one of them through several iterations and helping her with it.

The first iterations of this paper were worse than useless. However, she has sent me a new version of it and it is brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, that I immediately recognise that her DH has taken her paper and rewritten it completely for her. I know his quirks of style and I can hear his voice all the way though it. I love her to bits, but I know that she is incapable of writing something as good as this essay.

She has presented it to me as her own work, and will do so to the public too. She is looking for promotion at the end of the year.

I feel a bit sick that she would stoop to this. I would never expose her publicly, but I don't know how to react to her. Should I appear like I am taken in by it? WWYD?

OP posts:
Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:03

Ecclefechantart - I think the weak field may be subsumed within the stronger one for purposes of the REF submission (it is not always single departments that enter). And they are at the same institution.

OP posts:
Theycallmemellowjello · 09/06/2015 16:05

Actually, I don't think you can or should do anything. It's normal for papers to undergo substantial revision in the light of others comments and you have no evidence that this is any more than that.

Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:05

Walnut - yes, I'm realising how silly it is.

I think I am particularly susceptible to needing to be needed as well, which doesn't help.

OP posts:
allinall · 09/06/2015 16:07

Is it possible that she has sent you this work to look over, in an effort to see if she can 'get away with it'?

In other words, if you don't say anything, she will think you won't have noticed it's in the wrong 'voice', and therefore neither will anyone else. Maybe that sounds a bit cynical, but if she thinks she can get her DH's work past you as her own, then it would be 'safe' for her to publish stuff as hers that isn't, to a more general readership.

BathtimeFunkster · 09/06/2015 16:07

she sometimes pays for dinner as a thank you.

Shock

Wow, she sometimes pays for dinner to say thanks for doing her job for free. Hmm

Come on!

She is a bad friend.

She has been using you for years. Wake up.

EcclefechanTart · 09/06/2015 16:09

But if you just tell her to rewrite it to take out the DH's "voice", it will still be his work, won't it? Equally wrong, just better disguised. I think you need to tell her that's it's not OK.

marfisa · 09/06/2015 16:10

What RevoltingPeasant said!

EcclefechanTart · 09/06/2015 16:12

Ah, I see your point about the REF now. But if they coauthor he can allow her to claim it for the REF instead of him, as he will presumably have many other equally good publications. I know of quite a few cases of husband/wife co-authorship where one party has done much more work than the other, but as long as it's acknowledged openly as a collaboration I don't think thes a problem with it.

BathtimeFunkster · 09/06/2015 16:13

I think you are professionally implicated in this whether you are being paid or not.

You are a long term mug collaborator of hers. And you edit his work.

When other people read this paper and they see what you see, they will presume (correctly) that you were aware of it.

You need to tell her that you don't believe she wtote it and that if she submits it, you will be forced to make your doubts official.

Fleecyleesy · 09/06/2015 16:13

Agree with the above posters, she is a very bad friend. She sounds a bit like a spoilt, lazy child. Crying to get people to do things (in a professional capacity) for her Shock.

I would not only be thinking about raising this issue (gently) with her, but also distancing myself from her.

nilbyname · 09/06/2015 16:14

Holy shit balls! I am amazing that your friend has the arrogance to do this to you!

I would be so tempted to ping an email and say

"You've sent me your dh's paper in error"

That way you have given her an easy out? Then see what she does with that, she can save face and say oh yes silly me, and aend you something original, or she can keep lying to you.....

Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:15

Ecclefechan - I think that would be the logical way forward. However, I suspect that she will deny and say 'No' because of the prestige of the single author publication. Because, frankly, if she did publish it with his name on the cover, everyone would just say 'It's all his work'.

I know this sounds strange, but not that many people know that they are together. They live quite separate lives in some ways.

OP posts:
Noneedtoworryatall · 09/06/2015 16:16

You have no proof, without it your just accusing her no matter how you dress it up.

Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:17

Aaaargh!

You are all right about the professional thing, about my being implicated because I have seen it. It's not devastating for me personally - not at all, since it's not my journal she'll publish this in - but I'd rather not have the question mark hanging over me.

I hadn't thought of it like that.

OP posts:
NK5BM3 · 09/06/2015 16:19

I think the best thing as suggested earlier, is really co-authorship, and she can then claim as her 1 of 4 REF submissions. If he's so good then he doesn't need it. And if she's so crap, even with this 1 submission, she will have to find another 3 worthy submissions... so good luck with that.

I think it would be really difficult to tell her that it's her DH's voice, even though you are damn certain. Without the evidence, you will come across as being mean, ill-spirited, unkind, whatever and if her DH stands by her and says 'oh well, I only suggested some phrases which kinda make the piece' then what more can you say? you will lose them as friends and although it's clear that you've possibly eliminated her off your christmas card list, I think life's too short to hold these grudges or whatever you call them.

one of my papers published, 3* was me as first author and 2 others. As a result of that, received a lot of publicity (woo! impact!) and went on radio, tv etc. it was a joint effort definitely, of me and the 2nd author, and the next paper we are coming up with will have her name as the first author. That's fair.

I know of someone else who switched institutions, and then said that in his new institution, the name at the end is the important one, and so just changed the order of submission. Everyone raised eyebrows, but no one gave a damn because as far as they were all concerned they got a new publication (even better, they can count that as 1 rather than half since he's no longer at the same institution) and that's that.

Frankly, if he's happy to be 'stolen from', then I think there's a problem.

PrivatePike · 09/06/2015 16:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MerryMarigold · 09/06/2015 16:24

I would give her the facts (without editing anything, incidentally), and not accuse her of anything:

"I have the read paper. It's really very good, but reminds me very much of your dh's work. I would tread carefully in case others think the same."

Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:24

No. They are not one of those couples who are very 'public'. Unlike some of the big academic power couples who are very much known to be an item. They have fairly separate lives, too, as a result of some quite unique working arrangements. It works for them, though.

OP posts:
Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:26

(Apologies to whoever said in the 'annoying phrases' thread that their least favourite was 'an item'. I just remembered that! Grin)

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 09/06/2015 16:27

I'd let her know that "her" paper reads very much like it was written by her DH, and that she might want to consider this.

I'd also consider how this, plus the unacknowledged editing/co-authoring could impact on your career. I would definitely be pulling back from helping her with her papers.

I'd also be tempted to have an off the record chat to the journal.she is submitting to - it is their reputation on the line too.

As far as I am aware the academic world views plagiarism and passing off very seriously, and this situation could have fairly serious ramifications, more so for those who have knowingly colluded in this.

Finally, I'm not entirely sure you should be considering her a friend.

pluCaChange · 09/06/2015 16:28

I think I am particularly susceptible to needing to be needed as well, which doesn't help.

Okay, then, try this psychological experiment: MN NEEDS you to do this, to protect your academic reputation and win your MN balls! The zero-to-hero dynamic is one of the most satisfying to be found in these blue-and-white pages, and the ego-boost for you will more than outweigh the discomfort you think you will feel. Read Mumsnet Classics for "BallsofSteel" to see a transformation which created a heroine!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 09/06/2015 16:30

I would consider being a bit blunter than Merry
"Its a good paper but your new style could easily be mistaken for your DH's so you might want to think about how you present this."

Put this on an email so you have a written record if anyone ever questions what you knew.

NK5BM3 · 09/06/2015 16:36

*don't think there's a problem.

Original poster
disappointedinfriend · 09/06/2015 16:41

pluCaChange - You made me Smile. Thank you!

(And yes, my balls are more like cotton wool than steel, it has to be said. I need to harden them up).

I've been more upset by this than is probably rational or measured. I want to thank all of you so much for your help and advice, and for making me see both the serious and the light side of this. I'm going to go have a think overnight about how best to handle it, but handle it I will and not just sweep it under the carpet. Promise.

OP posts:
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 09/06/2015 16:45

I am not an academic so can I ask a possibly daft question. If she presents this as her single author piece of work won't she have to present it at conferences and possibly defend her stance. Won't people notice the difference pretty quickly?

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