Story perspectives

Cambridge Launches Independent Investigation After Jason Arday Resigns

8/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Prof Deborah Prentice said the University of Cambridge will launch an independent investigation into Jason Arday after his resignation.
Durham University, the University of Glasgow and philosopher Nathan Cofnas have announced investigations that Arday’s PhD thesis contains verbatim copying.
Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded 2015 PhD, found no plagiarism and said Arday cancelled 2 September talk while memoir Great and Unfortunate Things releases 27 August.

History

Historical Context

In 2002 the University of Kansas confirmed that historian Stephen Ambrose plagiarized passages in several bestselling books, triggering a nationwide review of citation standards. The case remains a reference point as Cambridge, Durham, Glasgow and Liverpool John Moores examine Jason Arday’s thesis. Ambrose’s earlier projects collected over 1,200 World War II oral histories.

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Story summary

Prof Deborah Prentice said the University of Cambridge will launch an independent investigation into Jason Arday after his resignation.
Durham University, the University of Glasgow and philosopher Nathan Cofnas have announced investigations that Arday’s PhD thesis contains verbatim copying.
Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded 2015 PhD, found no plagiarism and said Arday cancelled 2 September talk while memoir Great and Unfortunate Things releases 27 August.

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