# Lin Zhijian's paper plagiarism case

Lin Chih-chien's paper plagiarism case is an academic dishonesty incident in Taiwan's history. In July 2022, Lin Zhijian, a recent Department of Science graduate and Technology Management of Chung Hua University and the National Development Institute of National Taiwan University with two master's degrees and who announced participation in the mayoral election of Taoyuan City was accused by Wang Hongwei and others of copying two thesis. Zhonghua University and Taiwan University, respectively, both concluded that Lin Zhijian's thesis involved plagiarism and violated academic integrity, and their master's degree was revoked. Lin Zhijian was involved in copyright issues for plagiarism, which were also filed in civil infringement and criminal proceedings.
Lin Zhijian, who once served as a member of the Hsinchu City Council and the mayor of Hsinchu City is regarded as the future star of the youth of the Democratic Progressive Party. The controversy, which violates academic ethics, hurts Lin's Democratic Progressive Party in the 2022 Taiwanese local elections.

## Background

Lin Zhijian, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, went to the Department of Science and Technology Management to study for a master's degree when he was an assistant to Ker Chien-ming, a legislative member of the same party. His master's degree thesis, "Evaluation of the Satisfaction of Residents around a Science Park in China in TCSI Mode," was written by [3] under the guidance of He Lixing, and the oral was completed in July 2008. In addition, in April 2008, He Lixing, Lin Zhijian, and Wang Minglang (one of the oral committee members) jointly signed up for the "Academic Seminar on Management Strategy and Economic Development." They jointly published the article "Evaluation of public satisfaction in Hsinchu Science Industrial Park by TCSI Mode."
Later, after Lin Zhijian's 2013 tenure at the National Taiwan University National Development Initiatives Institute, he was elected mayor of Hsinchu City Council after Professor Chen Ming-tong, under the guidance of, wrote a master's thesis on the leverage of the political and social foundation and its influence: in the 2014 Hsinchu mayor election as an example, in the January 2017 oral test through.
After mid-2022, when Lin Zhijian announced his candidacy for mayor of Taoyuan, Wang Hongwei, a kuomintang, held a press conference to accuse Lin of plagiarism in his dissertation. Plagiarism is regarded as an election issue, and the comments of all parties are mainly influenced by the positions of political parties.

## Chung Hua University paper
### Put forward a report

During Lin Zhijian's participation in the results of the 2018 Taiwanese magistrate, some netizens discussed his master's degree from Zhonghua University, but it did not arouse many echoes. During the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election, Hsu Yung-ming, the Legislative Yuan of the New Power Party, once accused Lin Zhijian of plagiarism for his master's thesis at China University. However, Lin Zhijian and his guidance professor, He Lixing, had already clarified and denied it. However, the power of The Times refuted Lin Zhijian's statement, indicating that the press conference in July 2020 accused the legislator Cheng Chen-chien of copying his thesis and did not mention Lin Zhijian.
On July 5, 2022, Taipei City Councilor Wang Hongwei, a member of the Kuomintang, held a press conference to accuse Lin Zhijian of plagiarism in his master's thesis at Chung Hua University She accused Lin Zhijian of copying the 2007 Hsinchu Science Park commissioned Chung Hua University to handle the research bidding case "evaluating the public satisfaction of Hsinchu Science Park in TCSI mode" final report "evaluating the surrounding resident satisfaction of Hsinchu Science Industrial Park in TCSI mode" (signed by Li Youzheng and Wang Minglang). Wang Hongwei hoped that Chung Hua University would properly investigate and suggested that Lin Zhijian volunteer to "return" his degree. On July 6, Wang Hongwei and Taoyuan City Council candidate Ling Tao jointly held a press conference to announce that Lin Zhijian's paper from Zhonghua University was suspected of copying the text of Quality Monthly in December 2005, and the text similarity reached 94.1%.
Wang Hongwei publicly announced it again on July 28. She received a whistle-blower complaint showing that at an international symposium held in Beijing in October 2008, Wang Minglang and two other graduate students, surnamed Wang and surnamed Zhong, published an English paper titled "Applying the TCSI model to evaluate the stakeholder's satisfaction nearby Hsinchu Science Industrial Park (Chinese Translation: Using the TCSI model to evaluate the satisfaction of interested people near Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park)." Lin Zhijian and his thesis guidance professor, He Lixing, were not named in it. After comparison, the paper published in Beijing is the same as that published by Lin Zhijian, Wang Minglang, and He Lixing in the China University seminar, but the paper is "English," the chart content of the paper is the same in the same order, and all the conclusions and figures are entirely the same.

### Lin Zhijian responded

Lin Zhijian responded that he participated in the bamboo science-commissioned research and also published a seminar paper with the same name as He Lixing and Wang Minglang. [17] He thinks his behavior is not plagiarism, and He Lixing and Wang Minglang also issued a written statement to endorse him, Wang Hongwei in the Chung Hua university to bamboo administration plan application; according to the plan application, architecture planning is responsible by Wang Mingming, investigation and analysis is by Wang Mingming and He Lixing is responsible for the report by Wang Mingming and Li Youzhi is responsible for writing, Lin Zhijian is an unpaid research assistant and is responsible for "assist in the investigation," so Wang Hongwei says that Lin Zhijian "just help send questionnaire" rather than the original, and points out that the bamboo final report cover host is "Dr. Li Youzhi, Dr. Wang Minglang," no Lin Zhijian.
On July 24, Lin Zhijian and lawmaker Cheng Yun-peng held a press conference, expressing in chronological order that his copyright ownership of the master's degree at the Discipline Management Institute of China is also his research process.
In addition, On July 6, Lin Zhijian appointed a lawyer to the Hsinchu District Prosecutor's Office to accuse the prosecutor Wang Hongwei of criminal law. After he was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office, the North Prosecutor punished him. Wang Hongwei is fighting against Lin Zhijian, who was falsely accused; the north inspection is still under investigation.

### Academic review and results

In the examination and approval process, Lin Zhijian once attended an explanation.
On August 24, Chung Hua University announced the results of the review, confirming that Lin Zhijian's plagiarism was a serious violation of academic ethics, revoked Lin Zhijian's master's degree, and also sent a letter to the National Library to remove Lin Zhijian's paper from the shelves. According to the statement, He Lixing, the guiding professor of Lin Zhijian's thesis, and Li Youzhi, the member of the oral examination, are the co-host and the host of the plan, respectively, but do not investigate the final report of his master's thesis and the plan, which is obviously negligent, and will be sent to the teaching evaluation committee for review.
In early October, Lin filed a lawsuit with the Ministry of Education over the administrative action of Chung Hua University to revoke his degree.[31] After the trial of the lawsuit review committee, the Ministry of Education rejected the lawsuit filed by Lin Zhijian with the decision on January 19, 2023, of Taiwan Education Law (3) No. 1110094222, believing that Chung Hua University was punished in accordance with the regulations and the cancellation of Lin Zhijian's master's degree was not wrong. Lin Zhijian also apologized on his personal Facebook fan page on February 14, 2023, for revoking the punishment of Zhonghua University, respecting the resolution of the Litigation Review Committee of the Ministry of Education, and not filing an administrative lawsuit.

### Copyright problem

Ling Tao and Yang Zhi-dou, a KMT Taipei city councilor candidate, went to the Taipei District People's Office on July 6 to accuse Lin Zhijian of violating the Copyright Law. Wang also accused the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office of Lin, his professors, and others of violating the copyright law.
According to the contract between the Hsinchu Science Park Administration and Chung Hua University, the property rights of the works in the closing report belong to the Bamboo Science Administration. In a statement, the bureau, on the evening of July 6, asked Chung Hua University to make an explanation. The administration has also publicly stated that no one has applied for authorization to use the closing report. Bamboo Science Administration Bureau and Zhonghua University have exchanged many official letters and discussions. On December 30, 2022, the bureau filed a civil lawsuit against Lin Zhijian for violation of the Copyright Law and filed a criminal complaint to the Hsinchu Local Procuratorate in Taiwan on January 3, 2023.

## National Taiwan University thesis
### Put forward a report

On July 5, media practitioners Huang Yangming, Taiwan University, Institute of National Development Professor Du Zhenhua, and Lin Zhitsu in the National Development Institute presented a master's thesis on the three campaigns of leveraged political and social foundation and its influence in 2014, Hsinchu mayor election, for example, was suspected of copying another national development institute graduate student Yu Zhenghuang master'she tsis. The next day, Xu Xiaoxin sent an official letter to the National Taiwan University, stating that Lin Zhijian's paper was suspected of copying Yu Zhenghuang's paper.

### Response and rebuttal

Lin Zhijian and his guidance professor, Chen Ming-tong, offered some responses, arguing that Lin Zhijian's paper was original and did not copy Yu Zhenghuang's paper.

#### Data Use

Chen Ming-tong, Lin's guidance professor, mentioned on July 5 that the poll data used by Yu Zhenghuang's dissertation resulted from an internal poll of Lin Zhijian's campaign office. After Lin's approval, Chen provided it to Yu as research material.[48] Yu Zhenghuang's acknowledgements in the paper also mention that Lin Zhijian provided his research data. Chen Mingtong believes that "Lin Zhijian and Yu Zhenghuang did not copy" because Lin Yu's paper was based on the data collected by the same election and the same questionnaire; the outside world questioned that the part with similar words and grammar is "operational definition." Of course, it would be the same.

#### Complete the timing

The informant argued that Yu Zhenghuang conducted the oral examination of the paper earlier than Lin Zhijian, so from the time sequence, Yu Zhenghuang finished the paper earlier. In addition, Lin Zhijian's master's thesis cites Yu Zhenghuang's master's thesis as reference material.
Lin Zhijian said that his paper was written before Yu Zhenghuang and proposed (1) sending professor Chen Mingtong to Lin Zhijian and Secretary Yang Lingyan on February 1, 2016, and (2) having Yu Zhenghuang complete the research plan on March 8 as evidence. Lin Zhijian's Taiwan University master's thesis guidance professor Chen Mingtong also said that Yu Zhenghuang originally wrote an unsatisfactory master's thesis plan and wanted to change the topic, so he contacted him. After obtaining Lin Zhijian's consent, Chen Mingtong provided the first draft of Lin Zhijian's paper as a demonstration and suggestion to Yu for reference. However, he must still inform Yu Zhenghuang that it was Lin Zhijian's first draft. Both papers are similar (such as a typo); both first appeared in Lin Zhijian's research plan on February 1.
Yu responded that he had not read Lin Zhijian's paper when the incident broke out in 2022.
else
Lin's lawyer said on July 28 that Lin's paper was original and neither side was copied because Chen's teaching and guidance in writing the paper were similar. Yu Zhenghuang's lawyer told Lin Zhijian that he was original and said Lin Zhijian's view was politically original and academic, which is plagiarism.
Lin Zhijian's lawyer also argued that because the research is reasonable, Lin Zhijian's paper is original. Lin Zhijian took the poll data of "abandoning protection" Cai Renjian as the research item to prove the phenomenon of three changes; Yu Zhenghuang did not set the change, but there is still a paragraph. Moreover, Lin Zhijian assumes voters will support CAI Renjian because of his high education. However, Yu Zhenghuang, who uses the same data, believes that voters will support Lin Zhijian. However, Lin Zhijian needs to be more highly educated, and Yu Zhenghuang's research logic needs to be revised. Yu Zhenghuang's lawyer responded that Yu's paper writing time needed longer and was inevitably flawed.
Lin's lawyer also argued that both Lin and Yu's master theses mentioned "we ask further" in the poll, and the poll data came from Lin's campaign; using the first person was reasonable, but Yu used other people's information, using "we" was strange. Yu Zhenghuang's lawyer responded that Yu's paper writing time needed longer and was inevitably flawed.
In the wording part, Yu Zhenghuang's appointed lawyer also mentioned that Lin and Yu mistakenly wrote Xu Mingcai's degree "Dominken University" as "Dominican University," and both wrote that Lin Zhijian was a "prospective master." You can clearly say that the reason for the wrong marking of education was to directly quote the incorrect information on the official website of the Kuomintang and to call Lin Zhijian a "prospective master" because he did not know that Lin Zhijian had a master's degree from Chung Hua University. Lawyers questioned that if Lin had completed his thesis, he should not call himself a prospective master. The lawyer also said Lin and Yu had the same paragraph of the paper, while Yu Zhenghuang had cited references, but Lin Zhijian did not. Lin Zhijian copied other researchers for this paragraph, if not Yu Zhenghuang.

### Academic Review and Results

Taiwan University announced on July 6 that it had received the complaint and would complete it within two months. The school received a report containing Lin Zhijian copying Yu Zhenghuang, Yu Zhenghuang copying Lin Zhijian, and two people copying each other three; according to the school rules, the Academy of Social Sciences approved the report on the July 17 approval committee, the dean of the Academy of Social Sciences Su Hongda convener, based on the information provided to the committee of the information, and the accused to the committee replied data approval (but not including the parties not submitted to the committee, data published in other places).
After starting the investigation, Su Hongda mentioned that the academic dishonesty was a "scandal" in an email to the hospital. Lin Zhijian believed Su Hongda was "judged before trial" and applied to order Su Hongda to avoid review. However, the committee rejected Lin Zhijian's application at a meeting on the 27th.
Taiwan University compared their papers through the comparison software, and the results were more than 40% similar. After the discussion, the substantive review was taken paragraph by paragraph, and the related people were invited to attend the meeting for an explanation. The committee invited Lin Zhijian (3 times), guidance professor Chen Mingtong (3 times), and Yu Zhenghuang (2 times) to explain that the first two were not present, and Yu Zhenghuang only went to the meeting once. Lin Zhijian said that he thought the convener, Su Hongda, was biased against him, so he only submitted a written statement and refused to attend.
After comparison by the committee, the plagiarism was confirmed. However, because the two papers were highly similar and not correctly quoted, according to academic practice, the publisher, Lin Zhijian (January 2017), copied the first publisher, Yu Zhenghuang (July 2016). On August 9, National Taiwan University held a press conference after carefully comparing the two papers, chapter by chapter, paragraph by section, and section by section, in addition to finding the same or similar. Yu Zhenghuang proposed the draft of the "January 28, 2016 version." It was confirmed that Yu Zhenghuang had no plagiarism, but Lin Zhijian copied the master's thesis, and the circumstances are severe enough to suggest cancelling the degree. The Academic Affairs Office agreed to review the report and revoke Lin Zhijian's master's degree. On the same day, Taiwan University sent a letter to the National Library of China, informing Lin that Zhijian's degree had been revoked and requesting the removal of his paper and electronic papers under Article 17 of the Degree Awarding Law of the Ministry of Education and point 11 of the violation of doctoral and master's degrees.
Lin Zhijian himself refused to recognize the approval results of Taiwan University; on September 6, against the punishment of Taiwan University for revoking his degree, he filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Education. However, Lin Zhijian posted on Facebook on February 14, 2023, that he withdrew the petition, and the Ministry of Education also closed the case by law.
In addition, after Taiwan University decided to revoke his degree, Qian Yijun publicly alleged that two assistants wrote Lin Zhijian's thesis. However, Taiwan University responded that since the accused's degree had been revoked, the examination target no longer existed and would not be examined again.

#### Questions for directing the professor

Following the accusation of Lin Zhijian, Wang Hongwei reported to the Ministry of Education and Taiwan University on August 1, which was also suspected of violating academic ethics. On August 9, when Taiwan University announced the results of the academic ethics review, it also indicated that Chen Ming Tong, as the guiding professor, "should be clear and remind the relevant academic norms", which is suspected of dereliction of duty. The school receives the report and will form a review committee to investigate and approve it. Chen Ming, then head of the National Security Bureau (Taiwan), told a friend that if Taiwan University launched an investigation against him, he would thoroughly explain it.
Chen Mingtong has not applied for the National Development Institute since the 111th academic year (August 2022). In his teaching career (1995–2022), he has guided at least 173 master's and doctoral students to write their dissertations, including Lin Zhijian, Zheng Wencan, Pan Meng'a Gao Jiayu, Guo Guowen, Qiu Zhiwei, Shen Anhui, and other dignitaries. Of the 173 students, only five were in public electronic full text and were questioned by management scholar Lai Shibao about whether they were afraid of being tested.
On August 10, Chung Xiaoping, a Taipei city councillor, went to the Control Yuan to report Chen, saying that Chen forced Yu to take responsibility for the paper and even met with Yu. His accusations include Chen Mingdong reversing the wrong and telling Lin Zhijian that he had taken the data to Yu Zhenghuang, but Taiwan University proved Lin plagiarised. Chen Mingtong has five student thesis topics. The study of Hong Kong changes, subjectivity, structure, and conclusion are the same; Chen Mingtong is a topic for five students. He suggested that Chen publish 170 papers guiding students and put the content in the National Library of China.

#### Copyright problem

Yu Zhenghuang, an investigation officer of the Hsinchu Investigation Station of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, faced a faced a private prosecution on September 29, accusing Lin Zhijian of violating the Copyright Law. After the mediation arranged by the Taiwan Taipei District Court, they settled on June 10, 2023. As long as Lin Zhijian donated 300,000 yuan to public welfare groups, Yu agreed to withdraw the private lawsuit under the Copyright Law and told the Taipei Local Procuratorate's Office. Because Yu Zhenghuang told the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, Lin Zhijian was also told not to prosecute.

## Influence
### Academic ethics norms have been tightened.Academic ethics norms have been tightened

National Taiwan University announced on July 6, 2022, that from that day, all master and doctoral students must use the original comparison of text similarity before leaving the.

### Impact of the election situation

In mid-2022, Lin Zhijian announced that he would represent the Democratic Progressive Party in the Taoyuan mayoral election. His paper was publicly accused of plagiarism by many people, and the first whistleblower, Wang Hongwei, from the KMT, became a hot topic in the election campaign after Lin Zhijian announced his candidacy.。For example, the KMT suggested that Chen Ming-tong, president of GuoGuoan and party chairman, apologize for criticizing Lin for violating academic ethics and losing personal integrity
In the Democratic Progressive Party, Gao Jiayu, a member of the party, said that the dispute between Lin Zhijian's paper and the Hsinchu Stadium would have a negative impact on the northern candidates in the 2022 Taiwanese local elections, so some people suggested replacing Lin Zhijian. Zheng Yunpeng, a party official elected by Lin Zhijian in Taoyuan and another member of parliament, opposed Gao's views and accused her of "apparently not reading the complete information and not understanding her party members."
On August 10, the next day after the cancellation of his degree by Taiwan University, Tsai Ing-wen, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, said at a party meeting that "we are willing to believe that Zhijian did not copy" and instructed party members to believe Lin Zhijian. "We will shout to everyone that Lin Zhijian did not copy." However, on August 12, after the DPP held a temporary election response meeting, Lin Zhijian said in a press conference that he would voluntarily withdraw from the election, with his assistant cadre Zheng Yunpeng taking over to participate in the Taoyuan mayoral election
In the 2022 Taiwanese local elections, the Democratic Progressive Party was greatly defeated. The post-election official review report submitted by the DPP pointed out that after the outbreak of Lin Zhijian's paper plagiarism incident, the failure to timely and properly handle it caused public dissatisfaction. The hasty withdrawal from the election affected the trust of young people, and the whole incident had a negative impact on the election situation.