I wonder if part of the current problem is not that the fields are too big. In a small field where people know each other, reputation becomes more important, an

I wonder if part of the current problem is not that the fields are too big. In a small field where people know each other, reputation becomes more important, and you can't just misrepresent your results, since everyone will read it and know you did it. Meanwhile, in a big field, it is easier to hide in the crowd. Write some papers that get accepted, but not read, and have some friends cite them.