It’s the science policy stupid! On scientific fraud as an eye catcher
In this article scientific fraud is reconsidered taking into account firstly, the generic singularity of sciences; secondly, the plurality of scientific disciplines; and finally, the transformation of science into a competitive knowledge economy, submitted to the so-called ‘laws’ of the market. The authors, rather than to join the chorus which focuses upon individualising etiological explanations that fuel moral outrage and repressive answers against the wrongdoer and a priori discharge other actors and factors, hold the assumed recent upsurge of scientific fraud against the background of the important shifts that have taken place in science policy since the 1970’s.
The authors point out that these changes in science policy fundamentally denature science as a collective and cooperative practice based on mutual trust, into a individualistic competitive race with winners and losers. They wonder if the new environment should not be considered as conducive to fraud.
In the conclusions they explore how scientists may deal with these opposed calls: how to continue to do science, when the science policy pushes us toward something else? How to resist?