May 23, 2006
IF THEY'RE GOING TO SPECIALIZE IN FRAUD THEY OUGHT TO FOCUS ON DARWINISM, WHERE IT'S S.O.P. (via Tom Morin):
Science Friction: Is the controversy over research fraud in China spiraling out of control? (Bruce Einhorn, with Catherine Arnst in New York, 5/29/06, Business Week)
Just when U.S. universities are pushing to form alliances with their counterparts in China, accusations of scientific fraud are zinging across the Middle Kingdom. Beijing's determination to make China a scientific superpower seems to have created a Wild West climate where top researchers, under intense pressure to produce, are tempted to fake results or copy the works of others. [...]Posted by Orrin Judd at May 23, 2006 11:05 AMOne of the leading Chinese whistle-blowers is biochemist Shi-min Fang. He runs a highly influential Chinese-language Web site (www.xys.org) that details charges of fraud and abuse among China's scientists. Since his site launched in 2000, he claims to have exposed 500 cases of illegal or unethical behavior. "Misconduct is so widespread among Chinese academics that they have almost become used to it," Fang said in an e-mail exchange. "They don't think it's a big deal at all."
The turmoil comes at a particularly embarrassing time for President Hu Jintao. He and other leaders have been flogging their vision of China as an economy that relies on high-end innovation more than low-cost manufacturing. To realize this brains-based future, Communist Party leaders urge scientists to seize the leading edge of nanotechnology, stem cell research, and other emerging fields.
Such ambitious goals may be inspiring the unethical behavior.
If the party pols and their PR people have their way about how wonderful their system is, China will have its own Trofim Lysenko sooner or later.
Posted by: John at May 23, 2006 11:50 AM"Misconduct is so widespread among Chinese academics that they have almost become used to it,"
Score one for the Chinese over us on the self-awareness meter.
Posted by: Peter B at May 23, 2006 12:26 PM"Misconduct is so widespread among Chinese academics that they have almost become used to it,"
I don't think it's viewed as misconduct as much as a resigned, to make it so, say it's so. At some point the effort shifts from making an adequate product to making a perfect label.
Posted by: TEW at May 23, 2006 8:31 PM
At some point don't you have to acknowledge it's just conduct, not misconduct?
Posted by: oj at May 23, 2006 8:37 PMYes, of course it's just conduct. It's been this way for many, many years. You have a society that think nothing of using other's ID if the picture fits, and it saves your skin. A shared resume and a shared degree mean life a little better for both. Even where its frowned upon and not accepted it falls short of being called wrong for the sake of the face. It's always the face.
Granted, outside exposure is changing this bit by bit and eventually it will stop. It just hasn't go there yet.
Posted by: TEW at May 23, 2006 10:24 PM