RESEARCH MISCONDUCT
Presented at the
RCR WORKSHOP
Graduate School
By
Dr. R. C. Chawla
Professor & Chair, Chemical Engineering
Howard University
Washington, DC 20059
March 6, 2007
RESEARCH MISCONDUCT
• Fabrication: Making up data or results and
recording or reporting them.
• Falsification: Manipulating research materials,
equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting
data or results such that the research is not
accurately represented in the research record.
• Plagiarism: Appropriation of another person’s
ideas, processes, results, or words without giving
appropriate credit.
RESEARCH COMMANDMENTS
THOU SHALL NOT:
– FABRICATE
– FALSIFY
– PLAGIARIZE
RULES OF BEHAVIOR
• Etiquette - rules of acceptable personal behavior and
courtesy when interacting with others in a social setting.
• Laws - a system of rules and punishments clearly
established by a society to maintain a safe and orderly
social environment.
• Morals - personal rules of right and wrong behavior
derived from a person’s upbringing, religious beliefs, and
societal influences.
• Ethics - a code of rules defining moral behavior for a
particular society.
YOUR REACTION?
Situation
Thank you Cards
Speeding
WorldCom
Hitler
Osama bin Laden
Etiquette?
Legal?
Moral?
Ethical?
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
DRIVERS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
HIGHER AUTHORITY/CONSCIENCE
?!
Etiquette
Laws
Morals
Ethics
THE ETHICS CHECK
QUESTIONS
• Is it legal? Will I be violating either civil law or
company policy?
• Is it balanced? Is it fair to all concerned in the short
term as well as the long term? Does it promote winwin relationships?
• How will it make me feel about myself? Will it make
me feel proud? Would I feel good if my decision were
published in the newspaper? Would I feel good if my
family knew about it? Will I be proud to tell my
grandchildren about it?
PEOPLE TO KNOW
BERNIE/ BERTHA
WALTER/ MARY
GEORGE/ GEORGIA
ENGINEERING ETHICS CASE STUDY:
PLAGIARISM – M.S. THESIS…1/3
(Ref: onlineethics.org: http://onlineethics.org/cases/pritchard/thesis.html)
•
Dr. Nelson Nice is an engineering professor at State University. Three
years ago he headed a research project that involved an
undergraduate student assistant. At first, Jason Smart was
enthusiastic about the project. He certainly felt honored to be selected
by Professor Nice as his undergraduate assistant. However, as time
passed Jason grew impatient with the laboratory work and write-ups.
Dr. Nice found that he had to do more and more of the work himself.
Eventually Jason left the project before the work was completed.
•
One year later Jason, then a graduate student at another university,
wrote to Dr. Nelson Nice and asked him if he would send him a copy of
the final report of the work they had done together. Jason explained
that he had matured considerably since his undergraduate days and
was now working in a related area. "Now," he said, "I think I'm ready
for more serious work. It would help me a lot if I could see how things
finally worked out in the project."
Should Dr. Nelson Nice send the report to Jason Smart?
ENGINEERING ETHICS CASE STUDY:
PLAGIARISM – M.S. THESIS…2/3
• Nelson Nice was not anxious to share the report with Jason Smart.
Disappointed with the results of the research, Nelson had turned his
attention elsewhere. He was unhappy with Jason's performance on
the project. However, he was impressed with Jason's
acknowledgement of his earlier immaturity and his apparent desire
to do serious work. So he decided to send it. He pointed out to
Jason that, although the research was now complete, it had not
turned out as he had hoped. However, he wished Jason well in his
graduate work and hoped that this report might be of some help in
giving him new ideas.
• Several years later Nelson Nice discovered that Jason Smart
used the report as his Master's Thesis -- adding only a couple of
introductory paragraphs, a concluding section, and an updated
bibliography. No reference to Nelson Nice appeared anywhere in the
thesis!
ENGINEERING ETHICS CASE STUDY:
PLAGIARISM – M.S. THESIS…3/3
• What should Nelson Nice now do about
this?
• Is there anything that he could have
done earlier that might have prevented
this from happening?
• What might he do to make sure that
this type of situation will not occur in
the future?
REFERENCES
1.
http://www.computing.armstrong.edu/FacNStaff/priya/ENGR1100_ethics.pdf
2.
http://onlineethics.org/cases/pritchard/thesis.html
3.
Grubb, J., “Ethics-Engineering & Beyond,” Tulane Engineering Forum,
December, 2004
4.
Kohn, P. M. and Hughson, R.V., “Perplexing Problems in Engineering
Ethics,” Chemical Engineering, pp: 100-107, May 5, 1980