Understanding File Metadata Conflicts: My Experience with a Plagiarism Accusation

As a student navigating the complexities of coursework and digital submissions, I recently found myself facing an unexpected challenge that revolved around a plagiarism accusation. I felt it was important to share my experience, not only as a way to process what happened but also in hopes of helping others who might find themselves in a similar situation.

While taking an exam in AutoCAD Electrical, I confidently submitted my own work, created just the day before. However, my professor claimed that my file’s metadata indicated it had been created in 2013, which was simply untrue. Confusion ensued as I was left to wonder how this discrepancy could have occurred.

Upon checking the metadata on my end, I found that the file was indeed created on December 11, 2023. There was an odd detail, though: it showed a creation time of 9 PM and a last modified time of 6 PM on the same day. This didn’t make sense, leading me to question the integrity of the file’s metadata as it appeared on my professor’s system. A few classmates suggested that a potential “bit flip” might have caused this glitch. To clarify, a bit flip is a phenomenon that can alter binary data in a file, possibly leading to erroneous timestamps.

For additional context, I completed my exam on a Dell OptiPlex 780 running Windows 11, and the school’s C: drive is cleared with each shutdown, raising concerns about recovering earlier file versions. I had saved everything to my OneDrive, ensuring some level of safeguard for my work.

Fortunately, after my professor reviewed the situation, the misunderstanding was cleared up. He was understanding and assured me that he would mark my submission fairly. Strikingly, he discovered that a few other students experienced the same issue. When he reopened my file on a different computer, it no longer displayed the erroneous 2013 creation date. However, it persisted for another student, highlighting that this was not an isolated incident.

In retrospect, I’m relieved that this issue was resolved amicably, and I did not face any academic integrity consequences. It serves as a reminder of how critical it is to understand file metadata and how it might be misinterpreted in different systems.

If anyone else finds themselves grappling with similar concerns, consider these potential causes of file metadata discrepancies:

1. Software Version Compatibility: Different versions of software may interpret file metadata differently