Overly Ambitious Researchers:
What kinds of reasons are offered for fabricating data? Which, if any, of those reasons are good reasons--i.e., reasons that might justify fabricating data?
The scientists felt pressured to meet their deadlines with factual information. Also, the machines that the scientists might have been working on were not functioning properly, therefore they felt the need to make up information due to the lack of properly working machines. None of these reasons are good reasons for fabricating data.
Who is likely to be harmed by fabricating data? Does actual harm have to occur in order for fabrication to be ethically wrong?
Scientists who use this information in their own research are often harmed because using false information automatically makes their research fabricated. Whether they are doing this knowingly or unknowingly, they are automatically assumed guilty. It also harms the public, especially doctors if the fabricated research is used in the manufacturing of medicines. Actual harm does not have to occur to make this wrong, but it is often an effect.
What responsibilities does a scientist have for checking on the trustworthiness of the work of other scientists?
Other scientists can check their previous research to see if it has or has not been fabricated. They can also check with associates of the person who is accused of falsifying data. What should a scientist do if he or she has reason to believe that another scientist has fabricated data?
They should first check to see if this conclusion is correct by checking with associates and their previous research. Then, if they believe their assumption is correct, they should report him or her to a higher authority who can resolve the situation.
Why is honesty in scientific research important to the scientific community? Why is honesty in scientific research important for the public?
It is important because other scientists may use the fabricated data, not knowing that is false, in their own research. If they are caught, they are automatically guilty of fabricating data, even though they did not know. Also, if their information is used to make medicine or any type of technology, it can seriously harm the person or people using it.
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What a mess science would be if this were a common practice!
ReplyDeleteBrooke, comment on how the investigation of a scientist who is suspected of using fraudulent data might affect her work and how it can indirectly affect other scientists and the general public.
Each person in the group needs to find a current article on a case where a scientist is accused of falsifying data.
I agree that there is no "good" reason for fabricating data. No person or living thing necessarily needs to be harmed to make this an unethical practice. For example, if data was fabricated when studying a very fundamental concept that we use today, such as say, figuring out the density of a substance, our whole view of science would be changed! There is so much that could go wrong if data was fabricated, especailly if the experiment is crucial to how people view and practice things today.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, find 3 more recent (last 5 years) cases where people have been accused of falsifying data. Add the link and a brief summary of each case. What do you think about them?
ReplyDeleteIf scientists could release any results to us, we would never be able to know what was true and what was false. It is interesting to think about the fact that if a scientist unknowingly uses info. fabricated by another, a chain of false scientific theories and research could develop.
ReplyDeleteHonesty in Science is so important, because not a lot of people go and check out all the research that has been done, and even if they do, they wouldn't know if someone were lying. I agree with y'alls opinions on how wrong fabricating is. I think that the first man, got a fair punishment.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand why scientists would fabricate data because someone is going to prove it wrong. I think that the people who fabricate data are endangering people by giving false data.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe fabricating data is ethical at all. Scientists should always have their information and discoveries proven with factual information. They should never be made up or fake. These scientists providing false information could really hamper our scientific discoveries in every field. I agree with what Jenny said above in the fact that something so simple as density could become completely wrong if the original data were fabricated and not completely based on fact. It is very important that scientists today research their topics thoroughly and fabricate nothing in order to move forward in their scientific discoveries to provide correct information for our future generations.
ReplyDeleteI agree that honesty in making your data is important because if a scientist fabricates their data, and then a doctor uses that information to prescribe medicine to a patient it could seriously endanger a person's life. Also I agree with Morgan C's comment. It is very interesting to think about whether or not a scientist's data is true.
ReplyDeleteIn the summary, it says that Darsee was watched for several months after he was accused of having fabricating data. How was he watched? How and why would anyone accuse a scientist of fabricating data?
ReplyDeleteI agree that even if fabricating data doesn't harm people, it is still wrong. Whether or not it harms people, it is still a lie. Also, even though the fabrications might not seem harmful right away, they could have serious consequences later on. Future scientists could use the false data in their experiments leading to more false data. Chances are, eventually the fabricated data will end up harming someone in some way.
ReplyDelete2. I agree that fabricating data not hurts the people in the study but the scientists are also hurt by the lying. The people believe what the scientists say because they are supposed to have all the answers and not tell you anything other than the truth. If this crime continues to happen unnoticed, the trust between the scientists and the subjects of the studies could be completely broken and not able to be mended.
ReplyDeleteFabricating data, I think, is very wrong. I agree that if you use a scientist's work that has been fabricated, then you are, in a way, fabricating data yourself. If scientists do this, they are giving out wrong information that is not necessarily true, so people could get the wrong information. Even if something is wrong or things are not going very well, scientists still should not make up good results from experiments or tests just to get the paper in. I agree with the statement that just because no one was harmed from the fabricated information, it still makes it very unethical to make up results. Fabricating ideas from an experiment, I think, is very wrong and could potentially ham others, or get other people in trouble for fabricating because they used his or her work.
ReplyDeleteWell just becuase Mrs. LaPLace loves me... If a researcher was suspected of fabricating data it would affect her work becuase she would be under heavy watch, repuation could be ruined, and her research might be effected as well from the pressure. If might also affect other researchers becuase just like this article other reseachers might be guilty of fabricating data if they used this researchers research to help their own. Also if the general public was involved in this study or taking part in being a test of this study could be in great danger!! YAY MRS. LAPLACE ONE DOWN!!!
ReplyDeleteAdrienne, they watched all his experiments and his data, probably to see if it all matched up accordingly. They would accuse a scientist of falsifying data if they found an error in the data, or many errors. And if something didn't match up in his studies, obviously he just made it up. And why do they accuse them? So they can get proper punishment and hopefully not falsify anymore data.
ReplyDeleteNena, thanks that makes much more sense now.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14886-stemcell-researcher-guilty-of-falsifying-data.html?feedId=stem-cells_rss20 Also because Mrs. Laplace loves me this is another article about fabricating data. It is about how Morayma Reyes falsified data on stem cell research. She suggested that a rare type of adult stem cell from bone marrow could give rise to all of the body's tissues. Such versatility had previously been seen only in embryonic stem cells. Because years later no one could repeat the results it was then looked into further and found that she had falsified her data.
ReplyDeleteAgain because she loves me :) http://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/05/us/breast-cancer-researcher-admits-falsifying-data.html?sec=health. THis is about a researcher Dr. Werner Bezwoda that falsified data on breast cancer testing. He stated that that bone-marrow transplantation and high-dose chemotherapy could make the lives of women with advanced breast cancer last longer. He admitted to the fabrication of this data
ReplyDeletei agree it is horrible that scientists fabricate data! they are only doing it to benefit them self, and make them look good. do they not think before they fabricate data that a scientist may use the data they fabricated on a person or something else and possibly harm the person. it will not just effect them, it will effect everyone who uses the information after them.
ReplyDeletei agree that it is very wrong to fabricate data.This could lead into harming innocent people. If many scientists fabricate data then people wouldnt know what is true anymore.
ReplyDeleteMy article on falsifying data:
ReplyDeletehttp://consumerist.com/5161248/generic-drug-maker-ranbaxy-found-falsifying-data-to-fda
The FDA suspended all new drug applications from a Ranbaxy plant in India because they determined the facility was falsifying data. Last September the FDA banned the import of 30 popular generic medicines made by Ranbaxy due to the quality control issues from the plant in India. The type of information that was falsified in these new drug applications was the information regarding the shelf life of products, and data concerning production practices.
Last one!! http://consumerist.com/5161248/generic-drug-maker-ranbaxy-found-falsifying-data-to-fda. THis article is about how the FDA has stopped all new drug applications from one of Ranbaxy's plants in India becuase they determined the facility was falsifying scientific data.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, in the article about Dr. Bezwoda the information he stated sounds really true. I was talking to my mom about it, since this is my dad's area of work, and it sounds like a true statement. She said this is what my dad does with his patients and he supports this idea but I haven't asked him yet. I will when he gets home. (Note: my dad is a highly recognized oncologist in Louisiana; not some newbie who has no clue what's he doing)
ReplyDeleteNicole, it is possible that what the researcher concluded was true, but he still may have falsified his data. This is what happened with Millikan--what he was trying to prove has been supported over the years, but he still selected which data to use which is not ethical. So, check it out for us and let us know about the treatments.
ReplyDeleteI called my dad on the way to school today to ask him, since I didn't get to see him last night. He said that they used to do this to patients with advanced breast cancer but after the study by Dr. Bezwoda, that was fabricated, there has never been another study that has shown up as positive to this method of treatment. They do not do this anymore. About 13-14 years ago they were still using this method but they do not any longer. There are rare cases where they do use this treatment but never on advanced cancer. It's used on some to prevent the cancer from returning but they rarely do this.
ReplyDelete