"Within the scientific community, the effects of misconduct-in terms of lost time, forfeited recognition to others, and feelings of personal betrayal-can be devastating. Individuals, institutions, and even entire research fields can suffer grievous setbacks from instances of fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism even if they are only tangentially associated with the case." 1
1 "On Being a Scientist," 'Misconduct,' National Academy of Sciences, 1994.
"... [M]isconduct in science is unlikely to remain internal to the scientific community. Its consequences are too extreme: it can harm individuals outside of science (as when falsified results become the basis of a medical treatment), it squanders public funds, and it attracts the attention of those who would seek to criticize science. As a result, federal agencies, Congress, the media, and the courts can all get involved." 2
2 Ibid.
In an era and region which is noted for its multiculturalism, there is a tendency to subscribe to a form of moral relativism. There is a human tendency to avoid controversy and contention. Yet, there is nothing more destructive of the aims and purposes of higher education than cheating and deception from within.
CSU Long Beach is not immune. Misconduct is not restricted to Med Schools and biotechnology laboratories. It occurs. It occurs where people believe that no one cares, that no one will do anything about it. There is no justification for it. It is the business of everyone to see that it does not occur, and if it happens that it is stopped immediately before the inevitable harm becomes widespread.
This concludes the Misconduct module of the Responsible Conduct of Research Program. A module completion exercise follows:
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