I checked for Plagiarism (Similarity Index), when I submitted my Thesis. Lo and behold, the report came with one similarity index to a work claimed by a stranger in another country. It was my initial PhD Proposal submitted to the Committee. Objectives, Research Questions, and Conceptual Framework among others. Not sure how that came about, when it was my entire work that I have not uploaded online.
From then on, I realised that it is worth the risk of self-plagiarism to upload own work online rather than be unhappy about plagiarism your own original work that has been stolen by others.
This is especially important for new post-graduates who tend to worry about publishing papers and uploading work online. Concern for self-plagiarism is minimal compared to finding out that your work is used by someone else without your knowledge.
Anything worthy of sharing is to be shared, with acknowledgement to its origin.
Did your supervisor use a similarity checker on your original proposal? Using the same similarity checker on your thesis would access their database containing your earlier proposal.
Your original proposal should have your name in it. Some similarity checkers may sell material to paper-mills, but strip out the author's name and affiliation before being sold to unsuspecting, lazy victims.
I am agree with you, scientific thieves must be prevented by proper citation.
Thank you Prof Ian.
Supervisor confirmed that it was not due to our side of the process.
The Similarity Index was with someone in another country; according to Turnitin it was a paper submitted by an unnamed student to the Higher Education Authority of that country (for whatever purpose it may have served the said student). It was interesting in that my proposal was entirely indigenous in nature, to Malaysia, and has no relevance to that unnamed student's country.
I am glad and relieved, that was the only significant Similarity Index that bothered me. Overall it was thankfully a low index.
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