ResearchMisconduct:RM=PF2

Lab6AY122–Fall2010

LecturebyPaulKalasNovember23,2010

Misconduct:Rareinastronomy?(adaptedfromBroad&Wade1994)

Hipparcos(~200BC):PublishedstarcatalogtakenfromBabyloniansourcesasifitweretheresultofhisownobservaTons(publica(on?)[Toomer,G.J.1975,“DicTonaryofScienTficBiography”(CharlesScribner’sSons,NewYork),p.191]

C.Ptolemy(~200AD):Claimedtohaveperformedastronomicalmeasurementsthathedidnot.[Newton,R.R.1977,“TheCrimeofClaudiusPtolemy”(JHUPress,BalTmore)]

G.Galilei(~1600AD):Exaggeratedtheoutcomeofexperimentalresults.[Koyre,A.1968,“MetaphysicsandMeasurement:EssaysinScienTficRevoluTon”,(HarvardU.Press,Cambridge)]

I.Newton(1687‐1713):IntroducedfudgefactorsintohismagnumopussoastoincreaseitsapparentpowerofpredicTon(intent?).[Wesjall,R.S.1973,“Newtonandthefudgefactor”,Science,179,751]

PF2

•  Plagiarism:“theappropriaTonofanotherperson’sideas,processes,resultsorwordswithoutgivingappropriatecredit,includingthoseobtainedthroughconfidenTalreviewofothers’researchproposalsandmanuscripts”[FederalRegister,October14,1999]

–  Wordsandideas?

–  Unnecessarytocitecommonknowledge[e.g.“gravity”(Newton)]

–  Howshouldplagiarismberesolved?(apology?,retracTon?,sancTons?)

–  CollegialsoluTonsamongpeers,formalpathwaysotherwise.

–  Wasitsloppywork,orintenTonal?

–  Whyisplagiarismunethical?Whatarethewiderconsequences?

PF2

•  Fabrica2on:“makingupdataorresultsandrecordingorreporTngthem”[FederalPolicyonResearchMisconduct]

•  Falsifica2on:“manipulaTngresearchmaterials,equipment,orprocesses,orchangingoromimngdataorresultssuchthattheresearchisnotaccuratelyrepresentedintheresearchrecord”[FederalPolicyonResearchMisconduct]

•  HowshouldF2beresolved?(apology?,retracTon?,sancTons?)•  Wasitsloppywork,orintenTonal?

•  WhathappensifitisNOTfederalresearch?

•  WhyisF2unethical?Whatarethewiderconsequences?

WeareinacollaboraTveteam,3subteamscomplete3observa2onsthatneedtobeincludedintoagrantproposalthatisduetomorrow.ThePIoftheprojecttellseveryonethatthegrantcommioeewillbelookingforanypossiblereasontorejectaproposal.Withoutawinninggrantproposalmostoftheteamwilllosetheirjobsinafewmonths.

TeamApresentstheirresultbelow,butcannotexplainthediscrepantpoint.ThePInotesthatthemethodologywillappearflawediftheyindicatean“unknownsourceoferror”.TeamBsuggeststhatthepointisremoved.HowwouldtheyjusTfythisacTon,andhowwouldyouargueagainstit?

TeamBpresentstheresultsfromanobservaTonperformedidenTcallythreeTmesover.Theysuggestthatthesecondtrialissolowthatitiswrong,andinitsplacetheteamcouldreporttheaverageofthefirstandthird

trials.IsthisfalsificaTonoffabricaTon?Trial Data SuggestedValue

#1 75.89 75.89

#2 23.33 74.33

#3 72.77 72.77

TeamCpresentstheirobservaTons.Thedroptowardsthefinalthirdoftheexperimentisconsistentwithachangeinbiasintheelectronicsofthedetector.SincebiascorrecTonis,ingeneral,avaliddatareducTonstep,theysuggestoffsemngthecurveupwardbythemedianvalueofthepreviouspoints.Isthis“cooking”thedata?Shouldtheydiscussthisextrastepintheproposal?

1.  Fairness:Everybodyelseisdoingit,fairforustodoit.

2.  Benefittoscienceoutweighsthecost,endsjusTfythemeans.

3.  Fillintheblank....

ThePIinstructsteamAtosendtheplotwiththediscrepantpointremoved,teamBtotaketheaveragevaluefortrial#2,andteamCtoprovideaplotwiththe“corrected”data.

AserthemeeTng,studentArthursaystopostdocLisa:“Dude,Ican’tbelievewe’rejustgonnamakeupsomeofthisdata.”Lisasays,“Oh,thePIhasgoodreasons.Thinkofitthisway:

Doesthiskindofstuffreallyhappen?

BubbleFusionScandal

•  Bubblefusionconfirmed?

2002, Science, 295, 1868

Canithappeninastronomy?

Canithappeninastronomy?

Planet discovery not confirmed by Swiss Group...

Canithappeninastronomy?

Canithappeninastronomy?

What should be done?

•  Read/skimthefourarTclesontheLab6webpageconcerningethicalconductinresearch.

•  AnswerthefollowingquesTonsseparatelyfromyourlabreport(2pagesmax):

1.  IntheJ.R.MinkelarTcle(SciAm)thereisanerrorconcerninggravitaTonallensinginthe5thparagraph(beginnningwiththeword“If”).Whatistheerror?Explain.

2.  ReadSecTonVofDysonetal.1920.Whatisthestellardisplacementmeasuredwiththe4‐inchlensatSobral?Lookatthe“probableerror”,andthenwritedownyouropiniononhowwelltheobservaTonmatchesthepredicTonofEinstein.

3.  InSecTonVofDysonetal.1920youwillfindafigure.Explaininwordswhatitshows(explaintheaxes,thepoints,thelines)andwhatismissing.

Homework,dueDec.7