StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud - Assignment Example

Cite this document
Summary
Scientific fraud denotes any contraventions to the defined standards of carrying out scientific research, analysing data, and reporting one's findings. This paper will discuss the different kinds of scientific fraud that have been identified as well as their implications…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.6% of users find it useful
Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud"

 Scientific Fraud Introduction Scientific fraud denotes any contraventions to the defined standards of carrying out scientific research, analysing data, and reporting one's findings. In many lands, scientific bodies have defined stringent regulations that govern all the steps and processes involved in research. A successful research venture begins with the formulation of a research question, the selection of an appropriate research paradigm, identification of reliable data collection strategies and then proceeds to a rigorous research process of obtaining the data and analysing it. After such rigour in the research process, a high level of integrity is expected when a scientist is publishing reports of findings from the research. This paper will discuss the different kinds of scientific fraud that have been identified as well as their implications. Over the years, many scientists have failed to comply with all the defined regulations opting for short cuts and hence publishing work that does not meet scientific standards. Committing scientific fraud has serious implications because it may involve intellectual exploitation of other people’s work which is against the copyright law. In many cases, scientific fraud may go unnoticed if the work of scientist undergoes publications without a rigorous critiquing program. However, as this essay will demonstrate being found guilty of scientific fraud may lead to serious penalties (Hargreaves 2001, p. 1350). Types of scientific fraud One of the serious cases of scientific fraud involves carrying out a research process that does not conform to the expected rigour. For example, if a scientist adopts a quantitative paradigm, he or she faces the compulsion of formulating both a null and alternative hypotheses. The data collected in such a research should help the researcher test the two hypotheses and adopt one of them depending on the statistical correlation identified. However, many researchers adopting the quantitative approach claim to have indulged in a rigorous data collection, analysis and hypothesis testing while in a real sense, they have not. Some of them face the temptation of manipulating data to soot the hypothesis that they think is right. The use of unreliable statistical tools also compromises the quality of data analysis yielding results that are erroneous. Scientific fraud may involve the production of a scientific paper aimed at presenting the different steps adopted in the research process. In a real sense, a scientific paper is a theoretical reconstruction of all the activities undertaken by the researcher. However, many researchers only report aspects of their research that proved successful (Khaled 2013, p. 21). They prefer to omit cases of failed experiments because of poor design, erroneous data analysis and wrongly perceived correlations. This is the reason why many of the research papers published seem to insinuate that the researcher had a carefully arranged proposal and outline and that implementation of the research paradigm adopted was of a very high standard. In actual sense, it is obvious that scientists make numerous errors while undertaking the research process. It is only fair therefore, that they highlight such errors in their reporting. This means that, when a researcher gives the implication that a rigorous research process was done, while it did not exist, can be termed as a scientific fraud. This type of fraud is committed by both the researchers and the editors of famous journals mandated to publish the scientific research. In a bid to protect the reputation of a journal, the editor may persuade a researcher towards misrepresentation of the errors occurring during the research process (Khaled 2014, 1745). In a different instance, researchers often present a long list of references with the aim of impressing bodies that approve the work or even the referees. In other cases, researchers will provide an extensive reference list as a crafty art of making their work more acceptable and reputable. The main purpose of having a list of references in a scientific paper is to give the proper credits to the previous authors whose work was used as a theoretical basis for developing a research paper. As it is, any modern research seeks to advance the existing knowledge; therefore, researchers endeavour to carry out a rigorous appraisal of the available literature before they define new concepts. It is unfortunate that, only a few researchers present a reference list of previous work that they considered. In most cases, researchers who adopt a shoddy research approach will seek to justify their findings by offering a lengthy list of references. On the other hand, some researchers prefer to omit references that they used because the status of such references does not enhance the quality of the research. For example, when designing a proposal, a researcher may seek help from a previous reference illustrating how to apply for a grant, but chose to omit such a source when giving credit in the reference list. Moreover, when researchers use sources categorized as “unscholarly” they prefer to leave them out when referencing. This is done because a researcher may have the perception that listing such unscholarly articles may prompt other scientists to view the scientific paper as less serious. Journal editors do not exhibit a preference for scientific papers bearing unscholarly references and this persuades researcher to omit that category of sources, even when they have been used (Slesser & Qureshi 2009, p. 2358). Plagiarism is also a common type of scientific fraud. This type of fraud violates the defined standards of according authors credit for their work. Although the direct copying of another person’s work is often viewed as the most serious type of plagiarism, the truth is that adopting someone’s ideology without offering them the required credit is also plagiarism. Some researchers only alter a small portion of previous work by another author and claim that they have produced an original scientific paper (Karcz & Papadakos 2011, p. 24). In other cases, some researchers copy the research design adopted by their competitors or enemies and manipulate them to appear original. There are serious implications of committing plagiarism, although they vary from country to country. Serious cases of plagiarism lead to an irreversible refusal of the scientific paper. Litigations may follow in cases where the owner of the copied work seeks help from and compensation from the law (Karcz & Papadakos 2011, p. 25). An additional type of scientific fraud is intellectual exploitation. This involves the reliance of other parties or individuals in the research process without a according them the proper recognition as core authors or contributors to the development of the research paper. A classic example of this type of fraud happens in the family setting whereby a wife may assist a husband in data collection and analysis, but the final paper does not recognize her as a co-author of the work. In other cases, individuals undertaking their masters and PHD researchers rely on the help of other students and laboratory assistants but may never recognize their efforts and contributions. Many critics of intellectual exploitation will agree that it is a necessary offence cannot independently work alone on a successful research venture. However, the acceptability of intellectual exploitation depends on the magnitude contribution of the other party. If the unrecognized party made a level of contribution which proved significant to the entire research process, then it is unethical not to recognize such contributions ('Dealing with Scientific Fraud' 2013, p. 16). Misinterpretation is also a common form of scientific fraud, especially concerning the quality, justification and progress of any research. Although it is important for a researcher to justify the significance of their work, exaggerating some significant give a false picture which may be considered fraudulent. Misrepresentation is often done when researchers are seeking funds from donors or in persuasion or a scientific body to recognize the research. Other researchers use the media to place unnecessary exaggeration or emphasis of their work. In curriculum Vitas a researcher may face the temptations of misrepresenting himself or herself. This may be done by altering the official records and achievements of a scholar to become more impressive (Howitt & Wilson 2014, p. 5). Misrepresentation of this nature may involve inflating minor achievements, describing administrative duties that one has never performed or even according oneself too much credit for collaborative research. Implications of Scientific Fraud Scientific fraud is a serious offence and may attract serious penalties and other consequences. Journal editors have the mandate to reject scientific papers that exhibit inexcusable levels of fraud. Since there are many types of scientific fraud, the implications vary. Some cases of fraud may be considered less serious and that does not mean they are ethically justified. Failing to present honest work that meets the expected intellectual integrity may often lead to the indefinite refusal of one’s work. In other cases, a litigation process may follow the discovery of scientific fraud and heavy fines and penalties may be imposed on the person proved fraudulent. In cases of intellectual exploitation, litigation may compel the researcher to recognize the efforts of other people in developing their work. Scientific fraud may also have negative effects on the reputation of a scholar. In every field, there are reliable scholars whose work have received universal recognition (Khajuria & Agha 2014, p. 63). Conclusion As described above, different types of scientific fraud exist. Scientists have devised ways of presenting work that passes for quality research while in a real sense, it is shoddy. The research process is lengthy and requires expertise in identifying the right sample, proper data collection, analysis and description of findings. The high demand of this process in a bid to make it rigorous challenges some of the researchers. Instead of being resilient, they opt for fraudulent practices in order to deceive the public and other scientific bodies to accept their work. Bibliography 'Dealing with Scientific Fraud' 2013, Trends Magazine, 122, pp. 15-19, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Hargreaves, S 2001, 'UK moves to tackle scientific fraud', Lancet, 358, 9290, p. 1350, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Howitt, S, & Wilson, A 2014, 'Revisiting "Is the scientific paper a fraud?": The way textbooks and scientific research articles are being used to teach undergraduate students could convey a misleading image of scientific research', EMBO Reports, MEDLINE with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Karcz, M, & Papadakos, P 2011, 'The consequences of fraud and deceit in medical research', Canadian Journal Of Respiratory Therapy, 47, 1, pp. 18-27, CINAHL Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Khajuria, A, & Agha, R 2014, 'Fraud in scientific research - birth of the Concordat to uphold research integrity in the United Kingdom', Journal Of The Royal Society Of Medicine, 107, 2, pp. 61-65, CINAHL Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Khaled, K 2013, 'Scientific fraud in the digital age', Der Pharma Chemica, 5, 1, p. 28-38, Scopus®, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Khaled, KK 2014, 'Scientific fraud in corrosion science research: A review', Research On Chemical Intermediates, 40, 5, pp. 1735-1752, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Slesser, A, & Qureshi, Y 2009, 'The implications of fraud in medical and scientific research', World Journal Of Surgery, 33, 11, pp. 2355-2359, MEDLINE with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 April 2014. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words”, n.d.)
Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/science/1641237-differnt-kinds-of-scientific-fraud
(Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words)
Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words. https://studentshare.org/science/1641237-differnt-kinds-of-scientific-fraud.
“Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/science/1641237-differnt-kinds-of-scientific-fraud.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud

A Belief of The Cycle of Life or Reincarnation

occurrence of a birthmark on the kid that resemble to injuries of the kids' previous character or even existence of printed records describing a kids reports that are dated earlier than the kids' supposed previous character is recognized after thoroughly outlining the cases, he goes further to discuss the possible substitute explanations to reincarnation for those cases (ordinary explanations which include faulty memory, fraud, coincidence or paranormal explanation e.... Tucker the book ‘Life before life' is a scientific analysis of kids' memories of former lives....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Scientific Research and Prosperity of the United States

Indeed fundamental scientific research has made important contributions towards the development and prosperity of United States.... For a nation's growth, what matters the most is the constructive support of the scientific community in looking out solutions to the problems related to a number of fields like health, energy, exploration, military etc.... hellip; Pure scientific research leads someone to ask innocent questions, an inquisitive mind, an environment and encouragement for research....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Wide-Ranging Principles of a Person

The paper "Wide-Ranging Principles of a Person" presents that ideologies are philosophies or bodies of the belief that belong to different individuals or a group of people.... This is because different people look at the word with different meanings; some might imply it to be some sort of an identity thinking, others might look at it as some sort of a necessary illusion.... However, this is a wrong notion because, in just the same way, a minor section of society might be thinking along different lines, and creating their own set of beliefs which might not be as acceptable, but are something that they live by anyway....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Applications of the Scientific Method

Today, scientific methods have become one of the essential tools to be From the business perspective, scientific methods help in making decisions, solving problems strategically or even for testing a new idea in the market.... scientific methods help the businesses to deal with the problems in a systematic replicable manner.... The scientific approach indeed requires a valid testing of the hypothesis with the available data, rather than relying solely on intuition and theoretical knowledge....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Theory of Psychoanalysis: Comparison Between Cubism and Psychoanalysis

In every stage, impulses or desires move in such a manner that a child would want stimulation and gratification from different parts of the human body referred to as erogenous zones.... This paper describes the theory of psychoanalysis.... The psychoanalysis is the major technique by which Freud has productively infiltrated the deepest level of an individual's psychology....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

The Views on Love and Friendship

This essay "The Views on Love and Friendship" focuses on what problems Solomon identifies in attempts to 'separate different ''kinds'' of love' and how Diotima (as reported by Socrates, according to Plato) explains her claim that,'' love is … for begetting and birth in the beautiful''.... nbsp;… Categorizing various 'forms' of love requires giving both what constitutes love, and the differences between the various 'kinds' of love....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Fraud in the Scientific Environment

This paper "Fraud in the Scientific Environment" will discuss the Different Kinds of Scientific Fraud that have been identified as well as their implications.... However, as this essay will demonstrate being found guilty of scientific fraud may lead to serious penalties (Hargreaves 2001, p.... ne of the serious cases of scientific fraud involves carrying out a research process that does not conform to the expected rigor.... Committing scientific fraud has serious implications because it may involve intellectual exploitation of other people's work which is against copyright law....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Psychoanalysis and Mainstream Scientific Practice After 1950

One of the notable pointers of this procedure is that psychoanalysis was considered to be a “fraud science”.... This coursework "Psychoanalysis and Mainstream scientific Practice After 1950" describes important issues and matters that occurred in the 1900s and 1950 in relation to how the concept of psychoanalysis was carried out and out and eventually accepted in the society.... he development of science and the scientific method as we have it today has gone through several stages and processes....
14 Pages (3500 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us