The Science Of Dishonesty

FALSIFICATION, FABRICATION AND PLAGIARISM OF RESEARCH HAVE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES LAKSHMY RAMAKRISHNAN

- Lakshmy Ramakrishnan

THE MILLION-dollar question that universities ask almost all Ph.D. candidates is, “Why do you want to pursue a research career in biological sciences?” The answer almost always is, “For the betterment of science.” But is this really true? Stepping inside research laboratories and institutions, one can easily get the clear picture of this falsifiable statement. In many cases, scientific results are often skewed for favorable outcomes. The misconduct has far-reaching consequences and ultimately it is the patient who has to pay the price. The observation is certainly not to mitigate the importance of modern science, but many of the present day maladies can be managed more easily if handled with honesty.