Scientific fraud could be defined as intentional misrepresentation of the methods, procedures, or results of scientific research . Scientific research plays huge role in advancing the social and technological progress of the society which is why the scientific discipline has adopted rigorous rules to maintain the professional integrity of its members. It is also important to maintain public trust in the scientific community because taxpayers fund a significant proportion of scientific research activities. While most of the scientists do a great job of abiding by the scientific code of conduct, there is always a potential for certain individuals to violate those rules for personal glory. But in doing so, they often underestimate the harm they do to efforts of their colleagues most of whom have dedicated their entire lives to advancing the boundaries of mankind’s collective knowledge. Any instances of scientific fraud should be treated as criminal acts because of the huge economic and social costs the offenders impose on the society.
The progress in scientific community is highly dependent upon the quality of research done by its individual members and even the most important research work rarely answers all questions and often serves as a stepping stone for future research. But any instances of scientific fraud cast doubt even on valid research studies. Thus, an offender does more damage than what is apparent and the punishment should reflect the severity of his crime and be stringent enough to discourage future instances of scientific fraud. Scientific fraud is often more common than what is generally believed because only major frauds make it into the news. Just last year, University of Kentucky biomedical researcher Eric Smart was found guilty of fabricating 45 figures over ten years and similarly, Japanese anesthesiologist Yoshitaka Fujii fabricated data in 172 papers .
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"Scientific Fraud".
- Kenneth, Katkin. Scientific Fraud. 2003. 30 October 2013 http://www.encyclopedia.com/
- Zielinska, Edyta. Top Science Scandals of 2012. 17 December 2012. 30 October 2013 http://www.the-scientist.com
