Allegations of copying in UNevada/Reno Ph.D. thesis relate to material in background section

There have been allegations of plagiarism related to an introductory chapter in a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Nevada. The author pointed out that the copied material had nothing to do with his original research:


“The introductory facts were preliminary to my research and dissertation,” Geddes, in a response to the RJ article, stated on his website. “I would never attempt to take credit for anyone else’s ideas or work, as evidenced by the more than 140 citations in my 120-page dissertation.” After Geddes’ introductory chapter the similarities end, as his paper focused on the process of the spilled fumigant becoming a hazardous chemical after exposure to the sun. The California Department of Health Services’ report focused on the health effects caused by the spill. -



link: http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/2015/09/14/plagiarism-allegations-directed-at-nshe-regent/#sthash.8CFwubWk.dpuf

A "red flag" of copying is when the copyist copies errors contained within the source:



Both the paper and the report reference the same statements presented before the U.S. House of Representatives in 1991, and both include the same spelling error for one source’s name.