REACTION OF THE UKRAINIAN HISTORICAL COMMUNITY TO ACADEMIC PLAGIARISM: HIGH-PROFILE CASES OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to characterize key manifestations of the Ukrainian historical scholarly community’s response to resonant cases of plagiarism in historical research during the first quarter of the 21st century. Special attention is paid to the activities of professional historians in detecting and counteracting plagiarism, as well as their role in shaping public opinion regarding the problem of academic dishonesty in Ukrainian scholarship. Methodology. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity. The comparative-historical method is applied to compare different forms of the scholarly community’s response to violations of academic integrity. The classification method is used to systematize typical manifestations of the academic environment’s reactions. The activities of professional historians in detecting plagiarism are analysed considering both institutional and personal dimensions. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty lies in the first comprehensive study of the Ukrainian historical scholarly community's response to cases of plagiarism in academic works. Conclusions. Public statements by historians about detecting plagiarism in colleagues’ works are characterized by high professionalism. Historians apply detailed textual analysis, compare quotations, examine source bases and reference systems, identifying both textual borrowings and falsifications in working with archival materials, transformations and distortions of borrowed texts. Researchers also analyse chains of borrowings, structural plagiarism, and appropriation of concepts. The causes of plagiarism in historical research include: status enhancement, lack of professional competence, and pursuit of commercial gain. Institutional response manifests through official appeals to the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance and the Ministry of Education and Science to revoke academic degrees from violators, and involvement of state institutions. Collective appeals by professional historians and lawsuits regarding copyright protection have been documented. Cases of plagiarism are discussed in academic and journalistic publications and on social media, contributing to the formation of public opinion about the unacceptability of plagiarism. An important aspect is the consistent positioning of researchers regarding the unacceptability of plagiarism regardless of the violator’s status.