So is Ken Cuccinelli going to go after Edward Wegman for defrauding Virginia taxpayers?

[yellowcanine]

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2jr6sx/www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/gop-report-attacking-climate-change-science-plagiarized//r:t


Report attacking climate change science was plagiarized, experts say


Plagiarism experts told USA Today that the report, which was authored by George Mason University statistician Edward Wegman, copied material from textbooks, Wikipedia, and other sources.


GMU gets financial support from the state of Virginia. Shouldn't Kenny boy be prosecuting Wegman for fraud?

[leveymg]

1. Is it plagiarism to incorporate materials from open sources, like Wiki?

It's like copying the dictionary. Do Wikis really have to cited, as such?

[yellowcanine]

2. They should be if you are presenting it as an authoritative report yes.

The validity of your information depends on it. Particularly if, as in this case, the report was used to question the results and methodology of scientists, who are required to use rigorous scientific methodology. It is incumbent on would be critics of scientists to use equally rigorous methodology. Also, if Wegman was paid for his research report or wrote it as part of his university job and he presented material without citation he is basically defrauding the people who paid him - in this case the taxpayers.

Before the internet and wikis this would be like copying out of the encyclopedia and presenting it as your own material. Even when I was in high school that was unacceptable. This was a report written by a university professor at the request of Congress. Yes, it is plagiarism.

[leveymg]

3. Sounds like an academic faux pas, not a criminal fraud.

It would be civil fraud if there was a contract that specified that the paper presented had to meet scholarly standards. But, I don't see that as grounds for criminal prosecution, in and of itself.

[yellowcanine]

4. Maybe but Cuccinelli was perfectly willing to charge a climate scientist with

criminal fraud over what was at best an academic faux pas, at worst, nothing wrong at all. What is good for the goose.....

Not only that, but he used Wegman's "report" as the basis for some of his criminal complaint against Mann.

http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/04/29/oh-mann-cuccinelli-targets-uva-papers-in-climategate-salvo/

[leveymg]

5. Cuccinelli is a political hack. The courts should straighten things out for Mann.

Strikes me as a malicious prosecution.