Should Scientific Fraudsters Go To Jail?

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[RaymondSwanson-uy]

If anyone commits fraud for financial or personal gain, then, yes, charge them. It's a crime.

[LabMuffinBeautyScience]

Surprised academics think there's enough replications happening tbh... 😒

[ratoh]

Considering how wide-ranging and impactful the consequences of scientific fraud can be; I do think some of it should be a criminal offense. For example, did the fraudulent research adversely affect the lives of patients in a clinical trial? If that is the case then it absolutely should be. You brought up as an example Wakefield, whose fraudulent research has unequivocally resulted in the needless pain and even death of thousands of children. This type of fraud is absolutely something I personally believe should be considered a criminal offense.

[fredalyons]

Yes. Fraud in other professions are punishable by law so why not in the scientific community. At the minimum they should be charged with racketeering.

[EdoRiver]

I think we assumed that the shame of being found out faking results in such small communities of researchers was punishment enough.but clearly the sense of shame has disappeared and we have entered a new moral world

[samsonsoturian]

Historian here: I personally outed on academic paper as a fraud, but the journal in question straight up ignored me.

[rosomak]

In view of the fact that 99% of them are actually founded by public money, they should receive jail sentences like every serious fraudster depriving someones money.

[DeclanMBrennan]

I'd be in favour of calling it "Scientific Fraud" rather than "Scientific Misconduct". "Misconduct" is too vague a term. For example back in 2009 an *earthquake* hit the Italian town of L'Aquila and *6 seismologists were jailed for manslaughter* for failing to predict it. Most scientists in the field regard this as unfair.
Committing intentional fraud is another thing entirely and absolutely it should be criminalized.

[gluffoful]

If they use fraudulent data or publications based on it to acquire funding, which is nearly always in these infamous cases, then they should at a very minimum have to pay back the funding. With interest. If the behavior is systematic and persistent, then a jail sentence should not be out of the question.

[BestCosmologist]

The entire journal system is absurd. There has to be a better way.

[OldManRogers]

Deliberate scientific fraud should mean unseating of tenure and general blacklisting. It's a massive issue considering how hard it can be to get meaningful funding for important subjects

[WilhelmDrake]

Yes, fraud is a crime that must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Cheaters must not prosper.

[drummersagainstitk]

Thank you PETE for all your work. I appreciate it.

[radrpro]

Research data should be sworn to if Federal funds are used in the study, making the falsified reports subject to perjury and Federal fraud charges. The research team members and the university should be held liable for the fraud.

[drmadjdsadjadi]

Publishing papers that have false information is not fraud. KNOWINGLY publishing papers that have false information is fraud.

[Islands]

Yes, and if the fraudulent research caused harm, the appropriate similar penalties for that type of harm, both criminal and civil, should be prosecuted.

[Iaintrussian]

Do not pass go, do not collect $200M in grant money.

[watsonwrote]

The "we shouldn't make something bad illegal because people who do that bad thing won't be deterred" argument is extremely dumb for this reason: even if they're not deterred, they can still face consequences that prevent them from doing it more in the future. If there's no negative consequences, we have no recourse for punishing their behavior. And there's no deterrent for people who help or enable the bad behavior.

[drmadjdsadjadi]

We just should use our existing laws, not add new laws. Fraud is fraud and it is already criminal. The fact that people do not get prosecuted is the fault of the prosecutors who do not use the laws they already have on the books.

[strech]

Stanford Prez’ only “punishment” was being sent from Prez-office back to the faculty, where he did his lies! Not enough consequence!