If he opts to create the additional data, the student is ignoring his obligation as a researcher to report data truthfully. Honesty is one of the fundamental values of scholarship. Researchers and scholars must be able to trust that colleagues are honest and truthful in the conduct of their work, such as in reporting and publishing data, as they use this information to replicate work and further develop knowledge about the world in which we live. Fabrication, along with other dishonest practices such as falsification and plagiarism, are damaging to research and scholarly activities because they distort or misrepresent the true results of the activities.
Opting to create the
data may be attractive to the student, as he perceives it to be in his
best interest. By doing so, he perceives that he can more quickly write
the article for which his advisor is pressuring him and thus finish up
his graduate studies, permitting him to move on to conduct other more
exciting research. However, the student also needs to consider the consequences
if he is caught. It is highly probable that, in reviewing the data and
documentation with the student, the advisor will discover the fabrication.
This discovery would lead to allegations of misconduct and perhaps even
expulsion from the institution. This would have a severe adverse impact
on the student’s career and would also be potentially damaging to
the institution, the department, and the discipline.
