There has been significant insistence recently, by a poster on this thread who has been in contact with Peterson about the topic, that although the plagiarism documented here is indeed plagiarism, it is "unintentional."
However, continuing to argue that the plagiarism is "unintentional" seems nonsensical given the context of multiple instances of identical strategies of plagiarism, interspersed with virtually identical multiple "mea culpas" after an incidence of plagiarism is noted, followed by more use of those identical strategies of plagiarism.
Why continue to make this extremely weak argument that the plagiarism was "unintentional"? I looked into this idea, and found a 1997 incident at BYU that seems to provide some context.
From a 2.27.98 BYU Daily Universe article entitled
"Y. professor apologizes for plagiarism":
Jim Gordon, BYU associate academic vice president, would not disclose the particulars of the disciplinary measures used with Van Orden, but he did refer to BYU’s official policy on handling plagiarism by students or professors.
The policy allows BYU to reprimand the offender orally or in writing, require the work affected by the dishonesty to be redone, dismiss the offender from the university, or to put the offender on probation or suspension.
Gordon also clarified between inadvertent and deliberate plagiarism.
“
Intentional plagiarism is a violation of the Honor Code. It is intentionally stealing someone else’s thoughts or ideas.
Inadvertent plagiarism is not a violation of the Honor Code, but it is plagiarism. It’s a form of intellectual carelessness that is unacceptable in the academic community, and it’s a violation of university policy,” Gordon said.
Gordon said the university is satisfied that Van Orden’s plagiarism was inadvertent.
http://universe.BYU.edu/1998/02/27/byu- ... lagiarism/
[bolding added]
From a Deseret News article the next day:
Van Orden said carelessness in citing sources, not malicious intent, led to unattributed material taken from others in his 1996 book "Building Zion: The Latter-day Saints in Europe."Specific passages that were plagiarized, along with Van Orden's apology, are slated for publication in the Journal of Mormon History's spring 1998 edition.
"I looked into it from day one and recognized that I made some errors," Van Orden told the Deseret News. "I've pledged never to make the mistake again."
The Journal of Mormon History, a publication of the non-church-affiliated Mormon History Association,
documented "59 examples of misused and inadequately cited material from 11 authors writing in eight books or articles."
Van Orden continues to teach at BYU. He said the university took appropriate action in conjunction with its policy on plagiarism, but neither he nor administrators said what that action was.
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/616 ... arism.html
[bolding added]