If Raval were smart he’d take a lesson from the Johnsons and Lehrers of the world and go quiet for a bit. Wait until the heat and the scandal die down and he ca

If Raval were smart he’d take a lesson from the Johnsons and Lehrers of the world and go quiet for a bit. Wait until the heat and the scandal die down and he can make a return. While a real apology would probably help, it may not even be necessary. Raval will, almost certainly, be fine. If he isn’t it will be owed not to the plagiarism alone, but to the combination of all of the scandals brewing around him. One plagiarized paper may be survivable, but a history of weak citation, a heavily-criticized course and a feeling he misled his community may be enough to make him a pariah. Still, we’ve seen others survive much worse and it’s clear we’re entering an era where the title “plagiarist” doesn’t disqualify you from any position at all. It’s frustrating as many times it appropriate to sever all ties with plagiarists, but it’s the reality we live in. In the end, it would be good if Raval could at least thoroughly reexamine his approach to citation, in everything he does. Citation isn’t just about formats and standards, it’s a thought process and a way of creating. Clearly, Raval doesn’t have that right now. If nothing else good comes of this, maybe he can take this as a learning opportunity and grow from it.