CHAPTER FIFTY – THE FINAL PRESENTATION

She began by methodically going through each alleged instance of plagiarism, presenting side-by-side comparisons that clearly showed the differences between her work and the supposed sources. "As you can see," Joan explained, pointing to one example, "this passage that I'm accused of plagiarizing from Dr. Hendricks' paper wasn't even published until three months after I submitted my draft. It would have been impossible for me to copy it." Murmurs rippled through the tribunal members. Dean Thornton leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "That is indeed troubling, Ms. Keppler. Please continue." Joan pressed on, highlighting more inconsistencies. "Furthermore, many of these so-called plagiarized passages are common phrases in our field. For example, this line here – 'The results indicate a statistically significant correlation' – is a standard way of reporting findings. It's not plagiarism; it's academic convention." As Joan continued her defense, she could see the tribunal members exchan