4 ms·

Why no way to stop them? Couldn't he have reported it to the university? Sounds like he was complicit if he knew and did nothing.

sgt101 3y ago
That's all very well, but whistleblowers can find themselves out of a job without getting any result if they aren't in the right place at the right time. What if the OP's dad was of a minority ethnicity in a tenuous position in a racist environment? What if the family were poor with a sick child? What if he was an only parent? What if not everyone has the courage to do the right thing all the time because they are just ordinary people and not the star of a movie? What if they are scared and we don't judge them for that?
- EnigmaFlare 3y ago
  "Because I like money" is how corrupt practices generally sustain themselves. That doesn't mean the participants aren't complicit.
  - sgt101 3y ago
    There's a big difference between a corporate executive with (say) $2m in the bank that keeps their head down and lets corruption ride, and a college professor with a family that keeps his beak out of things. A really big difference.
    - EnigmaFlare 3y ago
      You seem to be trying to justify academic fraud as ethically acceptable for poor people to do. Is that right? Or are you just explaining how people could be motivated to participate in it despite it being unethical?
nothercastle 3y ago
There is almost no protection for whistle blowers in university. If you report fraud you get kicked out of the lab and blackballed and have to restart your phd if someone even wants to take you in. I would never recommend whistle blowing to anyone under those circumstances. It’s career suicide and may leave you personally devastated as well. The system is designed to protect bad actors.
- toast0 3y ago
  Additionally, if you report outside the university, the univerisity is tainted because word of the investigation will spread farther than word of the results. So the choices are report internally and likely get retaliated against, report externally and suffer similar reputational damage, or keep quiet and hope someone with power notices and takes action.
  - sgt101 3y ago
    For sure you will be labelled as a trouble maker, the worst thing is that there is a lot to hide out there and people are very ruthless about hiding it!

sgt101 3y ago

That's all very well, but whistleblowers can find themselves out of a job without getting any result if they aren't in the right place at the right time. What if the OP's dad was of a minority ethnicity in a tenuous position in a racist environment? What if the family were poor with a sick child? What if he was an only parent? What if not everyone has the courage to do the right thing all the time because they are just ordinary people and not the star of a movie? What if they are scared and we don't judge them for that?

EnigmaFlare 3y ago
"Because I like money" is how corrupt practices generally sustain themselves. That doesn't mean the participants aren't complicit.
- sgt101 3y ago
  There's a big difference between a corporate executive with (say) $2m in the bank that keeps their head down and lets corruption ride, and a college professor with a family that keeps his beak out of things. A really big difference.
  - EnigmaFlare 3y ago
    You seem to be trying to justify academic fraud as ethically acceptable for poor people to do. Is that right? Or are you just explaining how people could be motivated to participate in it despite it being unethical?

nothercastle 3y ago

There is almost no protection for whistle blowers in university. If you report fraud you get kicked out of the lab and blackballed and have to restart your phd if someone even wants to take you in. I would never recommend whistle blowing to anyone under those circumstances. It’s career suicide and may leave you personally devastated as well. The system is designed to protect bad actors.

toast0 3y ago
Additionally, if you report outside the university, the univerisity is tainted because word of the investigation will spread farther than word of the results. So the choices are report internally and likely get retaliated against, report externally and suffer similar reputational damage, or keep quiet and hope someone with power notices and takes action.
- sgt101 3y ago
  For sure you will be labelled as a trouble maker, the worst thing is that there is a lot to hide out there and people are very ruthless about hiding it!