- 1. What kinds of reasons are offered for fabricating data?
- Under pressure
- Not enough time
- Knew how the experiment should’ve turned out; needed to support the right answer
- Needed to get an article published
- Needed a good grade; didn’t have time to do it right
- 2. Which, if any, of those reasons are good reasons--i.e., reasons that might justifyfabricating data?
- None of these are good enough reasons to make up data. There is no good excuse for making up research that could change the world.
- 3. Who is likely to be harmed by fabricating data? Does actual harm have to occur in order for fabrication to be ethically wrong?
- Everyone is affected by research, especially those who the research is for.
- 4. What responsibilities does a scientist have for checking on the trustworthiness of the work of other scientists?
- A scientist has to closely moderate other scientist, especially the new ones. They are not as well trained, and therefore need guidance.
- 5. What should a scientist do if he or she has reason to believe that another scientist has fabricated data?
- A scientist should report it to someone, anyone. Forging data for any reason is ethically wrong.
- 6. Why is honesty in scientific research important to the scientific community?
- Honesty is important to the scientific community because scientists bounce ideas off each other. If one idea is false, everyone else’s research could be false, and a whole chain of bad information could start. The community relies on the research and facts of the scientists.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ethics ?'s
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I agree with number two because there are no logical reasons to forge scientific information. It can affect the lives of many people, and the scientists should face the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the theory that all fabricating information (on scientific data) is ethically wrong. I think that lying about or creating new data that is made on baseless research is terrible and often extremely harmful. It can be harmful to everyone including the scientists that weren't involved (in the fabricating). I don't think that is fair.
ReplyDeleteI think that fabricating facts is wrong as well, and that there are no good excuses for it.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question number 6, honesty is a critical part in science experiments. For example, fabricating data in an experiment regarding medical issues is ethically wrong and could be very harmful and affect many people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the comments above, that fabricating scientific data is ethically wrong, and there are no good excuses for it. All of your answers are very good :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough fabrication of data is a common practice, it is always unethical. Scientists do not have the right to perform an experiment and publish different results than they recieved. No reason could justify fabricating data simply because it does not provide a reliable conclusion. If the results are forged or fabricated, the subjects and the public may be effected by the results.
ReplyDeleteThe scientist and everyone he is working with is also harmed by fabricating data - if one scientist in the study fabricates, then every scientist gets that reputation and is thought of as dishonest. Their career is scarred.
ReplyDeleteI basically agree with what everything has been said.
ReplyDeleteBeing honest is an important factor for conducing an experiment and whatnot --> if the facts aren't true, then what if something totally screws up in another experiment because they thought that making up data was okay?
Question #6 basically sums up the whole situation =]
I agree with everyone else's comments on this matter. Fabricating data could seriously endanger many people's lives if it is put into use and the data was not correct. There is no reason seriously good enough to cover this. I would rather turn data in late than possibly harm many people or animals.
ReplyDeleteFabricating data is wrong. Scientists who fabricate data should be reported. Their information can be misleading, thus seriously hurting individuals. Scientists who fabricate data should not be ignored no matter the consequences. The decisions they have made are ethically wrong.
ReplyDeleteWow everyone already said what i was thinking of saying.
ReplyDeleteso to sum it up:
Fabricating information= bad for everyone
i agree with Pham about Q#6
To Group 1: Find 2 or 3 current (within the last 5 years) examples of falsification of research data.
ReplyDeleteI think that the fabrication of information is a serious crime and those who do it should be punished. Also i think that they shouldn't be able to ever work again as a scientist.
ReplyDeleteAre there alot of facts that are fabricated and we don't know about it?!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that fabricating information is an easy way out for scientists. This will only hurt us in the future. This makes me question if a lot of scientific works are fabiracted because we depend on these.
ReplyDeleteAll of the reasons for fabricating data that were shown in question 1 are no excuse. Being dishonest about scientific experiments can hurt others, and possibly have a negative affect on experiments performed in the future. I agree with everyone's comments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with question 6 about honesty. If scientists lied people would suffer greatly. We may die from medicines or other bad things could happen.
ReplyDeleteFabrication can be hard to detect. But yes, there is likely information out there that is fabricated and unknown to the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree pretty much with all of the other comments on this subject. Fabricating data is completely unethical, no matter what the reason for doing so is. Fabricating data is lying and we are taught from the time we are little that lying is wrong. Fabricating data shouldn't be considered anything other than wrong and unethical.
ReplyDeleteI kind of feel that question 3 isn't completely answered. While everyone may be affected by the research, who is in fact *harmed*? I would have to say if the experiment were for, say, medicine, then both the subjects and the recipients may be harmed. However, in most cases, the subjects are the ones that are most likely to be harmed, just like in the Tuskegee Syphillis Case. Furthermore, no harm to any living has to be done to make fabricating data unethical. Fabricating data has the ability to alter the way we view the world. This reminds me of the game we used to play (or may still play), "Telephone." It is essential that scientists share their data and research honestly and openly, or else it may turn out horribly wrong. Clear communication is vital when doing an experiment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with question 2. It is wrong to fabricate data. Especially when scientists work hard to come up with their ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis now makes it hard to trust scientific discoveries because of this.
ReplyDeleteAnna- I don't think that there are many false reports. Well, none that would harm us. These fabrication of data stories are really rare.
ReplyDeleteJenny- I agree with you that it depends on the study, so we made it vague so that we didn't have to explain all the cases. I also agree that with medical studies, the subjects and the recipients are affected.
I agree with the response to the third question. Everyone is harmed by the fabricating of data. Scientists rely on the data of one another to do their research and if they are using fabricated data, it produces a chain reaction of false data.
ReplyDelete