Hello Everyone,

My PhD looks as though it's now not going to happen. My supervisor has taken most of my work as their own and I have very little left to do. Having nothing much left to lose, I think it's time to take things further.

Is there an external organisation who can take on complaints, or represent me were I to make an official complaint against my university? I have no faith in my universities NUS so I wouldn't want to approach them. Any organisation that only has internal (inevitably biased and media aware) regulation is worrying.

Complaints I'd like to make are: plagiarism (by supervisor), bullying (by supervisor) and lack of consistent supervision.

Sincere regards,

Mud

I do feel like a whimp not complaining about this situation, but I am up against very powerful people and at a loss to know what to do without losing out on the best opportunity I've been given in my entire life :-(

======= Date Modified 13 Mar 2011 13:39:41 =======
Dear Mackem_Beefy,

"He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well." (John Milton).

Sincere regards,

Mud

Hi Mackem_Beefy,

Thank you for your last response. I've certainly learnt some valuable lessons relating to what has happened. Just as Pjlu stated, another PhD student I confided in also said that this type of thing is not uncommon and that if you are to collaborate, do two things first. Establish from the very outset who will do what to contribute to the article/publication/research. Secondly, decide on the order of authorship, again from the very outset. Albeit a steep learning curve (I still hope that I haven't 'ruffled too many feathers') a valuable one nonetheless.

Sincere regards,

Mud

======= Date Modified 12 Mar 2011 00:58:31 =======
Hi Pjlu,

Thanks for your reply, I actually found this one of the most helpful. I've secured another supervisor, who has a PhD themselves, which under the circumstances is a pure relief! Not only this, but they also have a background in my discipline! Whilst I have something to lose, I'm not going to go any further with my concerns about plagiarism. However, should the situation become untenable, I will leave banging my drum very loudly indeed. I've also been in situations like this before while I was working and she will win, I'll simply lose the opportunity of a lifetime. She is so very sly and Machiavellian that I don't stand a chance - I couldn't bring myself to lie, cheat or undermine someone else as she does...this is her area of expertise.

Regarding the isolation, I'm working on this too...I've started attending a lot more PGR sessions at the university and I'm making new connections there. I've also attended a couple of Workshops, where I met some more great people. A friend of mine suggested that I too get my 'army' (their words) behind me for support. I think I got stuck in the belief that those I work with on the project are the only people in the university, they are definitely not.

I think that maybe because I had such great, honest and, most importantly, people with integrity around me during my undergraduate degree, that all this has come as a massive shock to me. Someone else has mentioned that this type of behaviour is not uncommon, how saddening...but if I and others like me fall by the wayside, imagine what our universities will be full of...doesn't bear thinking about does it?

Sincere regards

Mud

P.S. Good luck with your PhD, you sound like someone who I wish was at my university!

I've been in situations like this before...the only person who'll lose out is me :-(

======= Date Modified 09 Mar 2011 21:02:20 =======
Guess what's going to happen to her? Yep, you guessed it, absolutely nothing! The 'respected academic' I went to see, in my opinion, is respected no more...expressed appalling, bullying behaviour...head down, ears open, eyes wide open and mouth shut from now on...that's the price you pay for telling the truth in academia.

Disgustedly yours

Mud

======= Date Modified 06 Mar 2011 02:37:20 =======
Hi and thanks for your reply,

This project isn't the one I'm employed as a research assistant on, it's a separate one altogether. I was told from the outset that this was 'our' publication. My work is Sociologically based. The 2nd supervisor and the other PhD student started the research together, then brought me in at a later date. Part way through my involvement with the project I did mention that they had done a lot of the groundwork and that if they wanted to go ahead with the analysis on their own, to do so. The 2nd supervisor said that she was happy with my continued involvement and wanted me to stay on and evaluate and present on the findings.

It is absolutely not my intention to "try to cause significant damage to someone else's career". If the university believe this to be plagiarism, then she damaged her own career and should take responsibility for her own actions. I am only protecting myself and ensuring that I cannot be punished/penalised for someone else's potential plagiarism of my work.

Sincere regards,

Mud

======= Date Modified 05 Mar 2011 19:44:53 =======
Bewildered,

I mentioned the whole story in my first post, and don't believe I have suggested anything other than the facts as they are. She has quoted from my Form 6/Literature review/Dissertation verbatim...surely this is plagiarism? She used my words, but she will be seen as the author. Were I to submit a journal article/thesis using 'my own' words, I would be accused of plagiarism as TURNITIN would pick out her article.

I didn't just do the literature review. I was involved with the planning, the evaluation of the research and gave advice throughout. We then (2nd supervisor, another PhD student and I) presented a paper at a conference, which we had all contributed to. A representative from the journal approached the 2nd supervisor due to this paper we presented.

I am meeting with a respected academic on Monday to clarify.

Sincere regards,

Mud

======= Date Modified 05 Mar 2011 14:47:05 =======
======= Date Modified 05 Mar 2011 14:32:12 =======
Hello Xebadir,

Thank you for your response, comments and suggestions. The 2nd supervisor has indeed taken the words from my Form 6 Literature Review, which was submitted to her in October 2010 (draft versions were sent throughout 2010). She submitted the journal article just before Xmas 2010. Not only this, but some of the phrases/sentences she has used were adapted from my undergraduate dissertation, submitted to the university in 2009. I have retained copies of emails from her that stated this journal article was 'ours', the conference presentation we did, etc.,...I also have the initial email asking me to take part in the research.

One thing that's bothering me is that she has mentioned me in the first page 'footnote', that I had supplied part of the literature review. However, where she has cut and paste my words verbatim, she hasn't put them in speech marks and I haven't been cited as authoring those words...whichever way I look at it, it looks like plagiarism to me.

I'm not sure who would show allegiance to the 2nd supervisor...she only has a Masters (all due respect to anybody with a Masters) and seems to be a "Jack of all trades, master of none", flitting from one discipline to another.

Sincere regards,

Mud

Wow...had the meeting...what on earth?? I suppose if you bring market conditions into academia, you bring along with it the same competitiveness, rather than cooperation you'd expect from 'learned' individuals.

I mentioned plagiarism to the 2nd supervisor, their response? "Yes Mud, I wouldn't want you to get into trouble when submitting your article/thesis due to the article." Am I dreaming? The don't want my article/thesis being accused of plagiarism as the words they used in their article were mine? So, in effect, I'd be penalised for using 'my' words in 'my' article/thesis because they'd originally plagiarised my Form 6/literature review...I didn't realise, naively, that academia was so very corrupt.

Mud

Hi Emma,

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm doing my PhD in the UK and in my second year (of a three year program). I've spoken to someone outside the project who advised me that I should talk to the 2nd supervisor, which I'm doing today. The person I spoke to couldn't believe that the 2nd supervisor would be acting maliciously...maybe because what the supervisor is doing is so underhand. If I don't have any success after today's meeting, I'm going to speak to them again.

My biggest gripe is the plagiarism...surely there should be some mechanism to confront this? I was under the impression that it would be classed as gross misconduct as the 2nd supervisor is also a lecturer?

Sincere regards,

Mud

Hello Everyone,

I'm currently at breaking point and would greatly appreciate any advice you could offer. I'm a Research Assistant for a 3 year project and my PhD is funded by said project. My research is very much about the same issue as the project I'm involved in. My ideas are routinely stolen for the project, thereby undermining my own research. My original Main Supervisor is on long-term sick and my second supervisor is unqualified to do her job properly.

Not only is she unqualified, she lies, she's the one who steals my work and has just plagiarised work from my Form 6 and published it (almost word-for-word, with a few words omitted) - even though I was involved extensively in the article and was under the impression that the article was 'ours'...we worked with another PhD student on this article, he was named as an author, I got a footnote mention!!!!

I've spoken to my Pastoral Support who suggested speaking to the 2nd supervisor and highlight my concerns. I am doing this today, but I have lost all confidence, trust and respect for this person and do not want them anywhere near me or my work. They also work on the project that is funding my PhD, so I can't get away from them easily. They are also attempting to isolate me from the rest of the research team.

I am actually crying whilst writing this (not looking for sympathy, just realising how much this has started to affect me)...I simply don't know what to do...I can't take on people where there's such a power differential. Any suggestions and/or advice?

Sincere regards,

Mud