[AISWorld] Fake Data and Research Fraud

[Roger Clarke]

On 2/9/21 2:44 pm, Joseph Davis wrote:
> Well known experimental study by Dan Ariely retracted:
> https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemlee/dan-ariely-honesty-study-retraction?utm_source=Nature%2BBriefing&utm_campaign=3e50acf932-briefing-dy-20210823&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-3e50acf932-43638041

Valuable post, thanks Joseph - otherwise this was easily missed.


This bit's telling:
> Citing confidentiality agreements, he also declined to name the
insurer that he partnered with.

Until Editors insist on declaration of the identity of case study
organisations, outsourced providers of data-collection services and
such-like, lily-guilding and outright fraud will remain all-too-common.

Agreed:  A reasonably high level of obscuration is appropriate in many
circumstances.  There can be 'unintended consequences' / 'collateral
damage' for participating organisations and individuals, and hence a
disincentive against participation.

As a reviewer, I'll cheerfully accept an assurance from an Editor that
due diligence has been conducted on the case study subjects, outsourced
providers, etc.  It would be nice to see guidelines published by AIS on
what constitutes due diligence in such circumstances.

In the absence of that, it's professionally and ethically dubious to
accept results from undeclared sources as a suitable basis for formal
research publications.

The deposit of copies of source materials has become much more common.
That was done in this case, and it enabled (belated, but effective)
audit:  https://datacolada.org/98

A valuable adjunct to deposits would be a 'sealed envelope'-equivalent
containing the relevant identifiers.  It's a quality-assurance tool, and
its inspection, 're-sealing' and retention acts as a deterrent for the
marginally-to-somewhat dishonest.  (Regrettably, really good cheats will
always prosper).


-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

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Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University