The list of allegations of plagiarism against ministers in the turquoise-green federal government has been enriched with one entry. This time hit: the 139-page diploma thesis of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). The well-known critic Stefan Weber sees “extensive plagiarism” in his work.
Karner wrote his master’s thesis in business administration at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in 1995 and – as usual – assured with his signature that he “has not used unauthorized assistance”. That this is clearly not the case is apparent from Weber’s documentation in his blog.
Quotes often not shown
In it, the expert cites numerous passages from the work, which often contain no corresponding references and are often only slightly rewritten. Indirect quotes in particular were often not reported, Weber is taking the Minister of the Interior to court.
Entire text passages copied
Using one source as an example, Weber documents that Karner drew quite extensively from a work by the economist Alfred Kiss (specifically from the work “Information and purchase decision”) “inspired”.n. The full extent of the acquisitions was “not indicated at any point,” Weber writes — but even with the proper markings, these passages “wouldn’t even have existed as a ‘little quote’ under copyright law,” the expert said.
The numerous copied text passages even make the self-confessed plagiarism fighter wonder “what in this work actually comes from the former diploma student – except page 1 of the text, which stands out for a specialty of punctuation: four spaces before the question mark .”
Karner: “Intensive research work”
Karner himself defended his performance at the time against the “Standard”: He proceeded “according to the prevailing scientific standards and the technical possibilities of the time” and carried out “intensive research”. That’s why he looks forward to every exam “with great composure”.
The accusation is nothing new in the turquoise-blue federal government. Due to mass allegations and bizarre translations, former Labor Minister Christine Aschbacher (ÖVP) resigned last year. Weber subsequently also made accusations of plagiarism against Minister of Integration Susanne Raab (ÖVP) and quality defects at Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens). This has dismissed the allegations as “absolutely dubious and false”, the investigation by the University of Vienna is still ongoing.
Source: Krone
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