Human Nature | 020 Community and character | 02170 Chilly

02170 Chilly

chilly climate

How prepared is your scholarly community to deal with a case like Mary Allen’? After reading Allen’ story, “Suja” a student taking Research Ethics in 2006 wrote this:

I always hope that I will be a student like these students were, unafraid to stand up for themselves, and for what they believed in. This story, to me, is a sterling example of upholding ethics in research.

One thing that struck me, however, is that the investigator found guilty of committing fraud is a woman. A friend of mine went through a nightmare phase in her graduate career, when her (female) advisor threatened to cut her future career short for ever, if she ever dared to report on her advisor's tampering with the data.

societal norms

Are women recipients under even greater pressure than men? In scientific research, do they feel compelled to tamper with data? That was the primary reason offered as excuse in the story of my friend, and others that I know. Though I don't personally think [Dr. Goodwin] merits ‘softer’ treatment than would a man in her position, I can't help wondering if she was driven to such an action simply because the pressure to perform was greater on her than that on any man in her field.

Land grant universities embrace academic freedom. No matter one's economic class, gender, race, or religious belief, our universities were established to grant degrees to women, under-represented minorities, and others without access to the elite private schools in the East. But, given Mary Allen's experience, can we do even better?

doctorates in sciences and engineering, 1997