Above all, science and indeed all forms of scholarship are social activities. The work of one researcher necessarily builds on and contributes to the research of others. Within this framework there is an implicit trust that the researcher tells the truth and the whole truth as he or she discovers it.
At the same time it is understood that research is carried out for sometimes intensely personal reasons. The motivations to work long, hard hours in the laboratory or library or out in the field are various. As you know, our civilization has established metrics for work and productivity. The most obvious is money ... money for the person who works and produces given in some proportion to the value of the product for others. At the same time it should not be ignored that for some people money is less important than the ability to wield power, to speak authoritatively, to have one's ideas accepted and implemented. And, there are other, sometimes less worthy motivations, as well.
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