Dear Michael,

I am afraid this question is a meaningful one and the problem needs to be fixed. However, this is a real hornet’s nest. Academic organizations (professional, universities, schools etc.) do nothing but prevent appropriate legal actions because some of their personalities are part of the fraud or are involved somehow (have a good contact with the perpetrators, know well subjective political demands). Unfortunately, it is a rarity to find thoroughly investigated cases where the original interests were proved.

It is the responsibility of universities and other academic organizations to contribute in the prosecution of academic fraud. Most universities practices are dismissing the fraudulent or obliging her/him to resign, and not to take legal actions.

Dear @Michael, encouraging the academic organizations to actively contribute to prosecution of academic fraud is very important in preventing fraud. The following link discusses some ideas about relevant strategies.

Strategies: This section provides users with information about national strategies relating to law enforcement intelligence, including information and intelligence sharing. Links in this section include the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan and Fusion Center Guidelines. These links are meant to provide information on the current information sharing strategies affecting law enforcement, including the identification of relevant national strategies and how to implement these strategies at a law enforcement agency.

There are numerous criminal justice professional associations and entities which assist law enforcement with policies, standards, analysis, training and education, and technical assistance. This section provides links to Web sites of organizations and entities that are relevant within the criminal justice intelligence community. See mor details at the link

https://www.ncirc.gov/Strategies.aspx

Serious and sustainable action is possible if the legislation that creates the university concerned provides a small body of people from different stakeholders, and makes it  resposible for investgation in these frauds and ensure their accountability in the matter. Like, it is so for members of company Boards. When people know that they may be personally liable if they become parts of such misdemeanors, they become cautious.

This is a problem which is not easy to tackle. More so because the administration is normally biased and rarely we find them resorting to ethical practices when dealing with such situations. Also the political and state interference make things more complicated. We need to have honest members in the academic and political administration, and only then this can be achievable. In the meantime the only thing that can be done is to whistle blowing and where possible bring it to the notice of the general public.

@Nageswara, do you think it is useful to 'bring it to the notice of the general public' with the help of a Beall's-like list of obstructive institutions?

Dear Nageswara,

I agree with you desiring honest academic and political administration and showing frauds and fraud perpetrators to general public. However, a desire is only a desire and often it is practically impossible to get the necessary evidences...

I know personally a petty but successful cheater. Everybody knows his deeds but everybody keeps silence. His successful “activity (he is a master falsifier of pseudo-scientific books)” has been acknowledged officially by a decoration.

Most of the internal frauds remain hidden by its nature. It is also highly difficult to detect fraud through analysis (how can you detect that the data in a publication has been manipulated?). What has been a very useful tool in discovering fraud are Hotlines (either telephone or anonymous tips through web apps). This could be a good mechanism if it can be centralized and falls outside the universities control. The problem here would be granting that entity with the power to launch an investigation on a particular institution.

Misconduct and /or fraud cannot coexist with what is purely in the academic vogue!

Dear Andras and Michael

The political establishment and state government hold on public universities is really strong, and people are afraid of going against them. The result is many of the misdeeds are open secret but no action being taken.

That is the reason I was suggesting whistle blowing and public shaming so that there is a possibility of some action may be possible. We have seen what has been achieved with the whistle blowing and the NSA. Mighty US administration had to bow down to the public pressure from various interested parties and modify. May be something similar could be possible.

It requires legislation without which nothing can be done, practically.

As I mentioned on the previous question, a local University here that had a "fraud" occur has been hesitant to do much more than ask the publishing journal to print a mealy mouthed correction - all because of lawsuits from the academics involved.  The academics have gotten new positions at a University in a different state, and have threatened to sue.

How does one enforce a conviction of academic fraud?  One would assume other institutions wouldn't want the fraud associated with them, but that is not always the case.

Dear @Michael, Universities must involve and adopt academic fraud policies and built in into a quality assurance process!  No accreditation without this! This is MUST!

Sometimes organizations formulate policies when issues that affect it existence become "scandalous". The issue must reach the members of the organization and its management to be able to act on it.

"Over the past few years, several major cases of scientific fraud at universities and academic hospitals have drawn the attention of the general public. As a consequence, universities have to update their procedures on fraud and give a balanced and academically sound response to the situation. Not only the internal procedures and sanctions need to be reviewed, there is also work to do be done at the level early detection and prevention." This is just a part of the following background text! It is on Developing Educational Content in a Prevention Strategy against Scientific Fraud!

"Universities and research institutes that do not investigate research misconduct properly could have their research council funding removed." See second link!

http://rd-ir.vub.ac.be/en_GB/events/show/id/3956

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/university-research-misconduct-could-carry-funding-penalty/2002079.article

I am with most of the above discussion, especially that with Mahfuz answer.

Ideally universities must involve and adopt academic fraud policy.

There is also cases in my country where an asistant prof.gave their paper writing to student tobe publish but she doesnt check again that the paper is plagiating somebody paper. The universities got sanction from our higher education department body.universities still use the prof,only given small sanction due to lack of prof. There.

Sometime the policy should take a look at of supply and demand as well as size of university and custome cultural country behavior. As some policy sometime misfit and corrupted in developing country.

In my native language, it is said that "School is a Temple", means educational institution is a 'sanctum sanctorum' of Knowledge and growth skills. That needs to be pure, unaffected by others, good in nature and benefit everyone without prejudice.

An educated performing an act of fraud undermines their education...back to zero..

Hi,

There are many reasons which prevent from punishing those conducting fraud.Universities are afraid of destroying their reputation.Some researches keep silent if they witness  such fraud.

Dear All,

I am afraid legislation cannot help solving this situation: I think there are – almost everywhere – good lows but the implementation of these lows is a bit “slow” even hampered. As Nageswara wrote the public opinion and the possible ethical standard of a community should condemn and excommunicate morally these swindlers. However, this is only a desire! The rule of Manus manum lavat is ever!

In my university, the core issue for that point is that managing plagiarism is an extra work, for a over-charged administrative structure. We have passed, in a few years, from  evaluating courses only with an exman, to evaluate every course with several examines and too many tasks... Extra pressure for students, professors and administration, charged with an extra charge of responsibility, even with (obvious) ethics charge... Difficult question.

Dear colleagues, we (including me) are not supposed to ask easy questions here on RG, and I agree that this question is a complex one. Can we solve the underlying problem? I think, we must. Otherwise, we lose the basis of our work: Science refers to a body of knowledge of the type that can be rationally explained and reliably applied. Fraudulent data cannot be used this way. It erodes the body of knowledge. 

Some say, we have increasing competition among researchers and teams. That's very true but it also applies for other fields of activities. Let's compare research with sports. There are lone fighters and teams aiming to win and be applauded by the public. Doping, short cuts, influencing referees - all is there that we can see in our realms. How does sports cope with the situation? They have set up the CAS (see below), encouraged by a mighty organization, the IOC (International Olympic Committee), which does not even have a clean record itself.

What is the counterpart of the IOC in science, I'd like to ask? Why can stars in science so easily dope, falsify and influence? If your reports are true, it's not competition, it's an undemocratic game of power exhibiting Darwinism in the academic society.  So, can we bring up something like a CAS for science?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_of_Arbitration_for_Sport

Two times in my career I have brought cases of plagiarism -which both times involved the copying of several paragraphs without citing the sources- to the attention of the immediate circle of colleagues in which these cases ocurred. In neither case was a sanction applied to the guilty author, and the second time there was an ugly backlash that motivated me to migrate to another area of the university where I was working. Blowing the whistle was seen as a more serious transgression of the norm than was the plagiarism itself. Too many academics are saying, in effect, "Don't rock the boat."

What can be done about this? That is a good question, Michael. I don't have the answer, but I am reading the posts on this thread with great interest.

Dear Michael Brückner,

I really admire you "revolutionary" thoughts about this immensely important subject. I came to know a large number of universities & I knew a good number of the scholars in several countries. In the U.K., were I studied for the PhD, a professor  was a real one in terms of teaching & research. We used to call one of our teaching professors " mobile encyclopedia". But I also came across so-called professors who cannot teach general chemistry or solve a problem in this simple course. Add to it, including the name of  someone as a co-author of  research papers while he knows nothing about the research done. This is done, for sure, in some countries by some scholars to their bosses to keep the job & to extend the visa for staying. I have many examples but I cannot go further now.

There are some encouraging news, at least in my naive understanding. The Albanian Minister for Education, Lindita Nikolla,  ordered the close-down a number of faculties and institutions in the country because of selling of academic titles and certificates. 

http://www.top-channel.tv/english/artikull.php?id=12433

David Charles Wright-Carr, I wonder if the attitude is more cultural than anything else.  Since early levels of education do not necessarily punish students for plagiarism, there becomes a tacit approval of such.  With no penalties associated with plagiarism in early life, people then assume it is okay to continue to do so.

I bring this up because of this headline - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2716540/Japanese-scientist-stem-cell-research-retracted-proved-false-commits-suicide.html .  It has been my experience (albeit limited) that when bringing shame to their family, organization, or company, Japanese have a tendency to resign and admit failure.  Suicide is obviously *way* beyond simple recognition/acknowledgement of failure, but to me - it does play into that cultural phenomena.

Dear @Michael, as far as I can understand , it is going to happen and this is very good step! "The first report of the experts who inspected 59 higher education institutions said that 70.5% of them does not fulfill the legal criteria. The Ministry of Education, Lindita Nikolla, declared that in many higher education institutions there are no registers of the students who have graduated from them." 

But, as it was stated, only 17 higher education schools and six public university faculties will be closed! What happened to other fraud institutions?

http://www.top-channel.tv/english/artikull.php?id=12442

Truly speaking it starts too early in our career .One who is smart enough and gets through things by hook or crook is the winner. Somebody who really looks into the amount of knowledge he or she has gained suffers the most..

My opinion is that fraud institutions should not be a member institutions here at Research Gate! Some of institutions mentioned in attached article by @Michael, are here, links follow! Do You share such attitude! RG policy must take such facts into account!

https://www.researchgate.net/institution/American_University_of_Tirana

https://www.researchgate.net/institution/Universiteti_Vitrina

Jerrold: That is exactly what is happening. Another anecdote floating in my memory is of a law student in my research methods class who didn't like my "zero plagiarism" rule. He stood up and shouted "No, professor, it is you who are out of line. Here everyone knows that he who doesn't cheat doesn't get ahead!" (This is a well-known adage in Spanish: El que no transa no avanza.) He stomped out of the room and never came back. (He didn't finish the law program either.)

The Japanese case you provide underscores the human dimension of our problem. Whistle-blowing hurts the person who plagiarizes and generally causes that person emotional and/or professional harm. This is probably the main reason denouncing fraud is often discouraged at the level of the work-group, where there is a tight social network. Possible legal implications have already been mentioned on this thread. When people get hurt they tend to retaliate, and our attempts to encourage honesty in research can backfire. These are all factors to consider while exploring possible solutions to this very serious problem that affects the entire academic and scientific community.

So, David, would you favour a Vroniplag solution, where whistle-blowers can stay anonymous but others can check possible misconduct independently?

I suppose that could work, Michael, although it's really not my style. I guess with a mechanism like that in place one would have the option of choosing between openly challenging the word thief (and/or idea thief) and making an anonymous accusation.

It is also important to have unambiguous institutional legislation regarding the definition of plagiarism and sanctions. Where I now work the rules are quite vague.

A full-time, well-trained "originality checker" would be a good investment for any university, and the presence of such a person would certainly improve the overall "originality index" of an institution. It's unfortunate that we even have to discuss this; academics should have higher ethical standards to begin with -sigh-.

Fine suggestion dear @David! I also do think that the presence of full-time, well-trained originality checker would be a good prevention! Very good investment!

Brussels Declaration gives the ethics approach and guiding principles for revolutionising how scientific evidence is transferred into science & society policy making

The mechanisms of policy making clearly need revamping to ensure scientific evidence is appropriately considered by those working at the interface between science, society and public policy. Particularly, we need to reshape the practice and ethics surrounding how new policy comes to bear...

http://www.euroscientist.com/policy-making-manifesto-squaring-science-human-factor/

Thank you for the very interesting discussion. We are dealing with a similar scientific misconduct and we would like some advice from you.

Here is the discussion:

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Data_robbery

Thank you for your participation

The paper: Synergistic effects of Zn and Pd species in TiO2 towards efficient photo-reduction of CO2 into CH4 : New J. Chem., 2018, 42, 483 have many academic misconduct problems. 1 All of this the data in the paper were done and designed by limei guo.The doctoral dissertation of limei guo is written in Chinese, shown in: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326096437. All the data marked in red is for New J. Chem., 2018, 42, 483, these data were done by limei guo 4 years ago. Yanlong Yu and zijian lan did not contribute any, they just made a fake email address of limei guo and plagiarize the data. 2 This manuscript (New J. Chem., 2018, 42, 483) contains the same set of data (for Zn) as Separation and Purification Technology 171 (2016) 118–122. Actually, these paper are all from limei guo's doctoral thesis. They just have written two papers using the same set of data. 3 Please see these papers, as far as I know, they only have five kind of datas: Pd, Zn, Mn, Cu, C. They use combination method to "build" papers. New J. Chem., 2018, 42, 483 Improved photocatalytic activity of TiO2 modified with unique O–Zn–Cl surface species Enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO 2–Cu/C with regulation and matching of energy levels by carbon and copper for photoreduction of CO 2 into CH 4 Adjustment and Matching of Energy Band of TiO2-Based Photocatalysts by Metal Ions (Pd, Cu, Mn) for Photoreduction of CO2 into CH4 Modification of Pd and Mn on the Surface of TiO2 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Photoreduction of CO2 into CH4 TiO 2–Pd/C composited photocatalyst with improved photocatalytic activity for photoreduction of CO 2 into CH 4 4 In this paper: Synergistic effects of Zn and Pd species in TiO2 towards efficient photo-reduction of CO2 into CH4 : New J. Chem., 2018, 42, 483, the DFT calculation is done by pirated Materials Studio software. The pirated software was dowloaded from muchong.com/bbs/.

Institutional investigations into accusations of serious scientific misconduct should take less time!

When a scientist is credibly accused of serious scientific misconduct, one or more institutions–often but not always the accused’s employer–launches a formal investigation. How long do those investigations typically take?

The mean and median time for these investigations is ~1 year...

https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2021/03/15/how-long-do-institutional-investigations-into-accusations-of-serious-scientific-misconduct-typically-take-heres-some-data/

In this paper, we explore different possible explanations for research misconduct (especially falsification and fabrication), and investigate whether they are compatible. We suggest that to explain research misconduct, we should pay attention to three factors: (1) the beliefs and desires of the misconductor, (2) contextual affordances, (3) and unconscious biases or influences...

This paper has a twofold aim. First, to explore and discuss a number of possible explanations of research misconduct, and second to use this as a case study for the more philosophical question: how do these different explanations relate to one another: are they compatible, or are they not?

This paper potentially has practical relevance in that explanations of research misconduct can be expected to give a handle on what can be done to prevent research misconduct. This being said, this paper focuses on explanation, not prevention...

Article Explanations of Research Misconduct, and How They Hang Together

A group of researchers at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia have retracted a paper in Nature for data discrepancies and inconsistencies — as well as missing data. And one of the corresponding authors has left the institution, Retraction Watch has learned...

https://retractionwatch.com/2021/09/27/researcher-leaves-wistar-institute-as-he-retracts-a-nature-paper/

A new approach to academic misconduct at an Australian university is slashing university workloads and leading to better outcomes for staff and students...

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/cheating-learning-opportunity-students?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial-daily

It is cultural trend in some countries. The system of education should deal with such issues from elementary school. Changing behaviour and attitudes are most important for beginners towards improving self awareness and outcomes

How a grad school assignment led me to a career investigating research misconduct

I’ve worked in research integrity offices at two universities. I spend my days looking into misconduct allegations, assisting investigative committees, and developing training materials designed to prevent misconduct. The job can be challenging at times. For instance, it’s hard to tell scientists they’re under investigation, and I find it disheartening to uncover evidence of misconduct and the various reasons behind it—including the pressure to publish and toxic lab environments...

https://www.science.org/content/article/how-grad-school-assignment-led-me-career-investigating-research-misconduct

A culture of trust. Many scientists have been scarred by successive, energy-sapping evaluations. More than one university has based layoffs on counts of faculty members’ high-impact papers or high-value grants, a practice that will make researchers sceptical of claims about prioritizing quality. Approaches to improvement need to be open and transparent, and constructive rather than punitive...

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03493-4

A trio of federal funding agencies have suspended payments supporting a high-profile McMaster University professor through the prestigious Canada 150 Research Chairs program after he was put on leave following an investigation.

A representative of the program confirmed on Tuesday that Jonathan Pruitt's online research profile on the government's website had also been pulled down.

The coveted chair positions were meant to boost Canada's reputation for excellence in science and innovation by investing more than $117 million to attract top-tier researchers and scholars from around the world...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/jonathan-pruitt-canada-150-chairs-funding-suspended-1.6268238

Speaking on the zero-tolerance he has for fraud and sexual molestations, the Professor of Industrial Chemistry, said, “That you are a Professor doesn’t mean if you commit plagiarism or rape or other crimes, we will gloss over it, no."

“The era of impunity can’t return again here, we won’t allow it. Nobody is above the law. Even some of the students who committed infractions, were either suspended or dismissed accordingly”...

https://dailypost.ng/2022/03/23/ekiti-varsity-warns-professors-against-plagiarism-sexual-harassment/

New recommendation aims to advance fraud-free education

Quality education is free of fraud and corruption. While this affirmation seems self-evident, putting it into practice is much more difficult. Contemporary societies invest a great deal of effort in the development of education systems driven by principles of ethics, transparency and integrity. Education fraud represents a threat, not only to the education community but to the entire society. It directly impacts on the right to quality education and the principle of equity if a person with a fraudulent qualification is enrolled in a higher education course or participates in a public competition instead of somebody else with an authentic one...

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220714161748657

The fight against scientific fraud: A thankless but necessary task...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0007455122003034

Fine action!

Acclaimed University of Michigan researcher leaves after academic articles retracted...

https://www.thederrick.com/ap/national/acclaimed-university-of-michigan-researcher-leaves-after-academic-articles-retracted/article_192b3acf-26fb-5c05-8277-fc6818220a68.html

Thailand: 33 profs "paid for their names to be associated with areas of academic research."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2509334/official-says-33-scholars-guilty-of-academic-fraud

It was déjà vu last month when a university in Belgium stripped Egyptian physician Hatem Abu Hashim of his doctorate after he was found to have fabricated data in his thesis.

Just weeks earlier, another Egyptian doctor, Ahmed Badawy, lost the PhD degree he had earned at a Dutch university in 2008. Abu Hashim and Badawy are both professors in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Mansoura University in Egypt...

https://retractionwatch.com/2023/03/08/ob-gyn-loses-phd-after-committee-finds-he-made-up-research/

A counter-attack that has no chance of success!

Scholar Accused of Research Fraud Sues Harvard and Data Sleuths, Alleging a ‘Smear Campaign’

Francesca Gino has filed a $25-million defamation lawsuit against the scholars who have accused her of fabricating research data, as well as against Harvard Business School, where she is a professor...

https://www.chronicle.com/article/scholar-accused-of-research-fraud-sues-harvard-and-data-sleuths-alleging-a-smear-campaign

There’s far more scientific fraud than anyone wants to admit

Despite recent scandals of research misconduct and error, the academic world still seems determined to look the other way...

Funding to detect and sanction fraud should be a reasonable fraction of the dollars being spent – instead of mere millions in a sea of tens of billions. Until publishing papers is decoupled from earning funding and employment, however, it’s difficult to imagine how much will change...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/09/scientific-misconduct-retraction-watch

To find research misconduct in research that has been supported by federal funds, an institution must determine that the misconduct was committed intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly. “Intentional” and “knowing” are straightforward standards. Yet “reckless” often mystifies institutions, which struggle to assess whether a respondent’s conduct should be deemed “reckless,” or merely negligent. This difficulty is most pronounced when allegations are lodged against the author under whose supervision the primary research was conducted – most often, the senior and/or corresponding author of a published paper who may not have been directly involved in performing the experiments or preparing the data under scrutiny...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/08989621.2023.2256650?needAccess=true

Article Defining "recklessness" in research misconduct proceedings

To guard against fraud, medical research should be a profession:  A book excerpt

"It has always been difficult for me to admit that we have a genuine and substantial problem of fraud and rubbish science in medical research. I suspect this is true for most scientists. We want to think of science as being free from half-truths and fake news. We hope that the high moral purpose of medical research will guard against wrongdoing, that it will weigh on our minds so heavily that we all take care to work and publish honestly and competently..."

https://retractionwatch.com/2023/10/04/to-guard-against-fraud-medical-research-should-be-a-profession-a-book-excerpt/

https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/monograph/Trust_in_Medical_Research_What_Scientists_Must_Do_to_Enhance_It/23827920/2

Good blog!

So you’ve found research fraud. Now what?

"Harvard dishonesty researcher Francesca Gino faked her research. But she still has a lot to teach us...

It is very much possible to do better when it comes to scientific fraud. The irony is that Gino’s research and the controversy surrounding it may well still end up having a long-lasting legacy in teaching us about dishonesty and how to combat it..."

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24140581/francesca-gino-research-fraud-dishonesty-meta-science

Academic Fraud Is a Waste of Taxpayer Dollars

More transparency is needed to hold researchers to account...

"The US government has spent $471 billion supporting academic research over the past decade. A troubling proportion of that work, recent reports suggest, is riddled with errors, plagiarized or fraudulent.

In recent months, some of the nation’s most elite universities and research centers — including Columbia University, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University and Stanford University — have been ensnared in scandal. And while that’s partly thanks to eager data sleuths armed with detection software, experts say cases of academic misconduct, if anything, are likely underreported..."

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-05-01/academic-misconduct-and-fraud-hurt-public-trust-in-science

Academic organizations should use COPE tools to fight against academic fraud. COPE adds to its inappropriate image manipulation flowchart: Immediate retraction under certain conditions...

Inappropriate image manipulation in a published article

"A reader suspects inappropriate image manipulation in a published article. The guidance offers editors a step by step process when handling the issue, including who to contact and when to consider a retraction, correction or expression of concern...

This flowchart relates only to cases where concerns related to digital photographic images are raised (eg, duplication of parts within an image, or use of identical images to show different things). For wider concerns about potential data fabrication, please use the flowchart Fabricated data in a submitted manuscript.

Where multiple papers are affected refer to Systematic manipulation of the publication process guidance..."

https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts/what-do-if-you-suspect-image-manipulation-published-article

https://publicationethics.org/sites/default/files/image-manipulation-published-article-cope-flowchart.pdf

https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts/fabricated-data-in-submitted-manuscript

https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts/systematic-manipulation-publication-process

Six academics sacked for research paper fraud

"Eight others being investigated as ministry seeks to crack down on fakery

Six academics from three Thai universities have been sacked and eight others are being investigated for research paper fraud, according to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI).

Three lecturers from Khon Kaen University were terminated and will also face criminal charges, according to the ministry..."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2831668/universities-fire-academics-over-research-paper-fraud. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL.

I do warmly recommend the following article:

The Academic Culture of Fraud

It is also about the Epistemic Bankruptcy of Academia...

"With some honorable exceptions, most academics don’t care very much about the capital-T Truth. Oh, they’d prefer Truth to lies, if Truth only cost two dollars. But if the cost is at all serious, they won’t pay it. It is a fault in the institutions that academics must choose between wealth and prestige and career success on the one hand, and pursuit of Truth on the other. But it is a fault in the professor’s character that he would turn his back on Truth, for this. Our civilization created the universities and carved out their special privileges because we recognize that the unencumbered pursuit of Truth is among the noblest callings, and also among the most useful. These people have been given a sacred trust, and they have abandoned it in order to secure a comfortable position. You cannot advance human knowledge by throwing venal careerists and apparatchiks at the problem, no matter how many tons of paper you print. Knowledge comes, and always has come, from insane people on a spiritual quest for Truth, who will neglect worldly concerns in pursuit of the insatiable drive to know. Today’s academics are living in the ruins of a temple built by better men..."

https://www.palladiummag.com/2024/08/02/the-academic-culture-of-fraud/

The staggering death toll of scientific lies

Scientific fraud kills people. Should it be illegal?

"Unfortunately, fraud and misconduct in the scientific community isn’t nearly as rare as one might like to believe. We also know that the consequences of being caught are frequently underwhelming. It can take years to get a bad paper retracted, even if the flaws are readily apparent. Sometimes, scientists alleged to have falsified their data file frivolous lawsuits against their peers who point it out, further silencing anyone who would speak out about bad data. And we know that this behavior can have high stakes, and can dramatically affect treatment options for patients.

In cases where research dishonesty is literally killing people, shouldn’t it be appropriate to resort to the criminal justice system?...

Ultimately, prosecution is a blunt tool. It might help provide accountability in cases where no one is incentivized to provide it — and I do think in cases of misconduct that lead to thousands of deaths, it would be a matter of justice. But it’s neither the only way to solve our fraud problem nor necessarily the best one.

So far, however, efforts to build institutions within the scientific community that police misconduct have had only limited success. At this point, I’d consider it a positive if there were efforts to allow external institutions to police misconduct as well..."

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/368350/scientific-research-fraud-crime-jail-time

Public prosecutor files charges in Dresden research affair" after allegations of fraud

"It was an attempt at institutional redress. In July 2022, three and a half years after Jens Strehle and Martin Holst had uncovered a scientific scandal that was unique in Germany according to the Technical University of Dresden (TUD), the two whistleblowers received the TUD's badge of honor.

"The courage with which the two whistleblowers pointed out the serious violations of scientific integrity in the context of the so-called PPP study and thus made an investigation and disclosure possible deserves our highest recognition," announced the university management. "Maintaining scientific integrity is of central importance to our university."..."

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/staatsanwalt-erhebt-anklage-in-dresdner-forschungsaffare-wissenschaft-zwischen-macht-politik-und-geltungssucht-12575594.html