The end of the “Artamonova case”

Full version of the article.

Every time plagiarism must be exposed, intra- or posthumously,
but certainly exposed. And the sooner the better. The more authoritative the figure, the more necessary the exposure.
Friend, teacher, benefactor - no connections should prevent exposure if you can expose.

L. Klein

This article, I hope, is the final one, drawing a line under the notorious case of plagiarism, which has entered into everyday life in the social scientific space of several states as the “Artamonova case.” It was named after the surname of the plagiarist - the head of the department of journalism at Donetsk National University (Ukraine), who is on the specialized council of the Institute of Journalism at Kyiv National University. T.G. Shevchenko defended her so-called doctoral dissertation in October 2009.

This case, starting from the moment of the defense, which I personally attended, has been the subject of many articles, both by me and by scientists who suffered from the dishonesty of both Artamonova herself and those who supported her. I will give links to just a few of them so that you can restore the overall picture of this case, which is indicative in many aspects (M. Simkacheva “On the ethics of a scientist. Plagiarism as a professional and ethical problem” ; A. Akopov “And this happens in science, education? No words!" ; S. Sinitsyna "Chronicles of the Artamonova Case "

In this article, I am obliged to name the names of those who, with their scientific and civil unprincipledness and lack of professionalism, created this cynical business, which required many years of efforts of scientists from Ukraine and Russia for its logical conclusion. This is, first of all, her scientific consultant and the first reviewer of the monograph for her doctoral dissertation, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of Izh. T.G. Shevchenko V. Ivanov, second reviewer of the monograph, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of the Ukrainian Academy of Printing (Lvov) N. Zelinskaya, third reviewer - the late Doctor of Philology, Professor V. Buryak. Naturally, these are opponents of the doctoral dissertation: Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of Izh. KNU. T.G. Shevchenko A. Meleshchenko, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Deputy Director of the Institute of Journalism and Television Arts of Kyiv International University S. Gorevalov, Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the Tauride Humanitarian-Ecological Institute N. Yablonovskaya. The chairman of the special council in which Artamonova defended herself was the same V. Ivanov, who, during her defense, formally handed over the reins of chairmanship to Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor of IZh KNU. T.G. Shevchenko O. Goianu, the secretary of the academic council was Ph.D., associate professor of the Institute of Life Sciences of KNU named after. T.G. Shevchenko V. Korneev, director of IZh KNU named after. T.G. Shevchenko, head of the scientific and methodological commission of Ukraine on journalism (social communications), who initially knew about everything that was happening - Doctor of Philology, Professor V. Rizun.

I. Artamonova’s defenders have high degrees and titles, serious official positions and big names, and even more - the desire to preserve them, evading responsibility for deliberately committed scientific crimes. And it is unlikely that this high-profile plagiarism case would have ended on October 31, 2014 with the decision of the Attestation Board of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine : to deprive I.M. Artamonov, head of the department of Donetsk National University, scientific degree of Doctor of Science (), if the team of S. Kvit had not come to the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

In March 2014, I wrote a statement addressed to the Minister, in which I outlined the essence of the case about Artamonova’s plagiarism, attached appeals from Russian scientists confirming the facts of intellectual fraud, and the conclusions of a forensic examination on some plagiarized articles in Ukrainian Higher Attestation Commission journals. The answer came in April signed by First Deputy Minister I. Sovsun. He was succinct: The Ministry needs additional time to study the issue. When in June of this year, the Minister of Education and Science, young in every sense, gave an interview to Mirror of the Week , declaring a desire for reform that was quite predictable for any new leadership, there was no hope for a civilized solution to this long-drawn-out story. Or there was, but very little.

But after the interview, in which Kvit unexpectedly answered a direct question from ZN journalist O. Onishchenko about whether he knew about Artamonova’s plagiarism, and also gave a direct answer: yes, I know, let’s deal with it, - an order from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine appeared 07/04/2014 No. 792 “On approval of the decisions of the Attestation Board of the Ministry on the awarding of scientific degrees and academic titles dated June 26, 2014.” Clause 7 of this order read “Based on paragraph 46 of the Procedure... to instruct members of the Attestation Board to create groups of experts to identify text borrowings without citing a source in dissertations, the authors of which have already been awarded a Doctor of Science diploma: Inessa Mikhailovna Artamonova, Doctor of Science in social communications in the specialty 27.00.01 “Theory and history of social communications.”

As time passed, it seemed that everything was developing, as always, when officials from science and education loudly declare their intentions for reform, but that is all they limit themselves to. But in July, an interview with First Deputy Minister Inna Sovsun appears , which is also dedicated to the fight against plagiarism. This trend was encouraging.

The only thing that alarmed and even cast doubt on the positive result of the resolution of the “Artamonova case” was the statement in the text of an allegedly expert conclusion on the facts of plagiarism, which back in 2010, in response to requests from the leadership of the Higher Attestation Commission, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, KNU. T. Shevchenko, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor, Russia) F. Shamkhalov, was signed by Doctor of Philology, Professor A. Kholod: “Scientific connections between Ukrainian and Russian scientists have always been characterized by mutual understanding, openness and friendly cooperation. But recently there have been attempts to spoil them. Such attempts are being carried out by Mrs. Sinitsina S.L., who lives in the Russian Federation in St. Petersburg.

Mrs. Sinitsina S.L., having no relation to the scientific field of “Social Communications” (and to science in general), accuses Doctor of Science in Social Communications, Associate Professor Inessa Mikhailovna Artamonova (Donetsk National University, Ukraine) of plagiarism, thereby making attempts negative influence on respected authorities of two friendly countries of Russia and Ukraine: the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation and Rosobrnadzor (Russia); Higher Attestation Commission of Ukraine. Thus, it actually blackmails the social institutions of the two countries, thereby distracting their workers from normal everyday work. In addition to the indicated negative influence, Mrs. Sinitsina S.L. humiliates the honor and dignity of the Ukrainian Doctor of Science in Social Communications, Associate Professor Inessa Mikhailovna Artamonova (Donetsk National University).”

Of course, it was unpleasant to learn that I and those scientists and universities who, together with me, tried to defend scientific truth, were presented in such expert appeals as blackmailers. Of course, there were fears that they could again conduct an unprofessional examination to please corporate interests and really quarrel between scientists of the two countries.

But in the decision of the Attestation Board dated October 31, 2014, what is relevant is that not only is there a list of those deprived of doctoral degrees for plagiarism, but there is also an indicative conclusion: “The Ministry of Education and Science believes that the shameful practice of plagiarism should be eradicated from Ukrainian academic environment with consistent but decisive measures by the entire educational community."

It indicates that the team of S. Kvit, which claims to restore the reputational capital of science and education, is trying, despite the resistance of immoral, unprincipled pseudoscientists with degrees and titles living by deception and crimes, to revive and strengthen what J. Habermas calls the spiral communications. The disruption of normal communication, not to mention its distortion by systematic lies, falsifications, or its destruction by deliberate anti-scientific and anti-social activities, is fraught with social catastrophes. society, well known in Russia and abroad, Representatives of the Dissernet were among the first to sense the value basis of such a decision and on November 1 responded to it with the words: “Meanwhile, pleasant and long-awaited news from fraternal Ukraine. Inessa Artamonova, who became famous for her scientific dishonesty (or, simply put, for plagiarism), was nevertheless deprived of her doctorate degree by order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.”

But this truly pleasant and long-awaited news would have been impossible without the people and teams of universities, newspapers, and magazines, who for many years selflessly and persistently sought to defend the scientific and civil truth in the “Artamonova case.”

Many thanks for their courage, honesty and faith in justice to such online publications, their editors and teams as “Ukrainian Lookout” (V. Girzhov http://ukroglyad.com/photo/4-0-30 ), “RELGA” (A Akopov http://www.relga.ru/), “Trinity Option” (in 2009 - 2011 M. Gelfand http://trv-science.ru/ ); “Private correspondent” (I. Zasursky http://www.chaskor.ru/ )

Huge gratitude to the true scientists and the leadership of universities, who value their reputations, who were not afraid to openly state their position regarding the plagiarism of Artamonova and all those who supported and encouraged him. Without appeals, statements, expert conclusions, articles in the mass media, Ph.D., Associate Professor M. Simkacheva (Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University), Doctor of Social Sciences, Professor M. Zhitaryuk (Lvov National University named after I. . Franko), Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, one of the founders of the European University in St. Petersburg L. Klein, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor S. Korkonosenko (St. Petersburg State University), Doctor of Physics - Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Leading Researcher FTINT NASU A. Kopeliovich, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor N. Zubov (Odessa National University named after I. Mechnikov), Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor A. Faktorovich (Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution VPO "Kuban State University"), Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. M. Lomonosov and the rectorate of the Southern Federal University, it was impossible to write about the end of this matter.

But one question still remains. It concerns not so much the formal procedures that should follow after the unprecedented decision of the Attestation Board of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated October 31, 2014, but rather the moral aspects of the “Artamonova case.” It is clear that the staff of the journalism department and the entire philological faculty of Donetsk National University, as well as the frequently changing management of this university in recent times, knew about this deliberate crime of their employee, colleague. As practice has shown, they deliberately covered up this violation of the moral standards of the scientist and teacher. The majority of representatives of the scientific direction of social communications behaved similarly, striving even in courts to defend plagiarism and the corporate interests behind it (Classical Private University (Zaporozhye), Sumy State University). What will their reaction be now? And the reaction of the healthy scientific and educational community of Ukraine and Russia to them?

But that is another story…