At PRB+, it is always our intent to source, publish, and promote original work that not only informs readers but also honors the tenets of professional journalism. With “Dog-Park Design Recommendations and Considerations” by Brian Koehler (from our January 2024 issue), we failed to do that.
Shortly after publication, we learned that several portions of the article had been plagiarized from the work of Nora VandenBerghe. Specifically, language and insights were lifted directly from “Benefits of Dog Parks”, published by Playground Professionals in 2016, and Dog-On-It Parks’ Successful Dog Parks guide, published in 2014.
Additionally, we learned the plagiarized article had already been accepted and published by NRPA in early 2023.
PRB+ does not condone plagiarism under any circumstance, and also expressly prohibits simultaneous submissions and reprints. We sincerely apologize for the lapse in our editorial process, and we have since taken additional steps to ensure this never happens again. We remain committed to bringing our readers parks, recreation, and camp stories that can’t be found anywhere else, and we’ll do everything we can to safeguard the quality and integrity of those stories moving forward.
