Flexible
Standards of Honesty, Ethics and Fraud Exist.
Fraud Encourages Fraud. Fraud begets fraud; and then some.
It is just a matter
of time. The erosion of integrity and
authenticity must eventually destroy the moral basis for ethical management and
burst the bubble of dishonesty.
The
latest revelations that Singapore’s premier Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) has revoked the 2013 PhD degree of a former Agency for
Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) scientist, one Ms Sabeera Bonala,
after she admitted that she had falsified data in her research and doctoral
thesis.
This
is the latest fallout in one
of the biggest cases of scientific fraud in Singapore, which first came to
light in July 2016. Six research papers were retracted then,
including three that had listed Ms Bonala as the first author. Two other
researchers have left their posts and another one had his PhD revoked in the
earlier episode.
The
trio involved in the 2016 scandal are Professor Ravi Kambadur, who was
with NTU; Dr Mridula Sharma, who was associate professor at the National
University of Singapore's (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and former NTU
researcher Sudarsanareddy Lokireddy, who had his PhD from NTU.
Dr Sharma is no
longer at NUS and Dr Lokireddy’s PhD from NTU has also been revoked. NTU
investigations in December 2015 led to 3 papers on Myostatin, a muscular growth
protein, published in 2011 and 2012 being retracted. Another paper was
withdrawn before publication and the other 2 papers were corrected. Three more
papers published from 2012 to 2014, based on research funded by A*Star and the National Research Foundation (NRF),
were also retracted from the prestigious Molecular Endocrinology and Biological
Chemistry journals.
NTU
has earlier in June 2016, following an unrelated investigation into allegations
of research malpractice, retracted 11 academic papers authored by researchers
from the National Institute of Education (NIE). Dr Noel Chia who joined NTU in
2006, promoted to Associate Professor in 2014, is the lead author of 8 papers
and co-author of the other 3 papers. He was a well-known local expert in the
area of special-education needs such as autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia. Of
the 11 papers that came under investigation, 9 were published in the
prestigious Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals
(JAASEP).
I am sadden by these
revelations but not surprised. I have expected these research frauds to surface
much earlier. As an NTU Associate
Professor, I have been told some of most unbelievable research malpractice, and
often similar things from more than one person! Here are just a few, albeit
unverified:
1) The known record
is nearly 40+ research papers claimed by a single staff (with various
co-authors) in a single year. One Professor actually claims to have more than
1,000 publications over 15+ years, but whose expertise has remained relatively
unknown!
2) It is “common” to
have more than 10+ research papers per year claimed by a single staff (with
various co-authors).
3) Many research
papers claimed by a single staff (listed among first 3 authors) are in
technical areas not within the staff’s known expertise, training or technical
competence.
4) A paper where
authorship claimed was 15th among a longer list of authors.
5) Cases of papers
submitted under different titles, but with similar contents.
6) Cases of papers
submitted under the same title to different journals.
7) Papers translated
from their original non-English, foreign language, and claimed as one’s paper
and submitted to a English-medium refereed journal.
8) …. And then some.
A Google
Scholar search for the publications of senior Professors will return a
lisiting of their publications and citations.
The prevalent NTU
research practice of questionable ethics involves situations of "gratuitous"
or "gift" authorship, where co-authors are added either
by themselves or by their subordinates and where they were not involved in the
research in any significant manner. Supervisors
generally expect junior Professors to include them as “co-authors” as a matter
of normative practice. The latter sees evidence that those who did so would often get compensated
and promotions for their generosity in gratitude.
The
Fraud Culture IS the New Normal
Especially
noteworthy is the fact that the above affected Professors and staff joined the
NTU and NUS at a time when the Universities have fully embraced the bogus and
fraudulent World
University Rankings standards.
The timing is not coincidental.
By
2010, any seriousness in research vigorousness has been abandoned. Research integrity suffers as NUS and NTU
blindly embraced THE [Times Higher Education] and QS Rankers, without demanding
to examine the scientific basis of their “methodology”; especially the
criterion factors selected as measures of “best” Universities, nor the
population and samples of the respondents who participated in surveys
purportedly conducted and whose “data” were used to compile the final annual league
table rankings.
Finally by 2014, NTU was ranked as the Top Youngest University in the
World by QS Ranker, from 77th in 2008, and ranking just 39th
Worldwide.
The
new guiding principle for integrity is "the end justifies the mean”. Authenticity has become immaterial and
irrelevant as they buy into what the United
Nations, UK
and European
Governments, as well as eminent Professors
of Higher Education have already condemned as a bogus standard of
questionable excellence.
Given the dodgy
nature of World University Rankings and their questionable deliberate
fabrication of unreliably unscientific methodologies, NTU victories to their
top ranks are in essence as pyrrhic as winning a beauty contest; the mere
appearance of uncertain meaningless quality.
By flaunting
the bogus World University Rankings as its fake brand of questionable
quality, both NTU and NUS have flouted its blatant disregard for research
integrity and ethical authenticity.
Whither the basis of their moral authority to discipline their Professors and staff for their disdain and defiance of academic honesty and research integrity and ethics?
Whither the basis of their moral authority to discipline their Professors and staff for their disdain and defiance of academic honesty and research integrity and ethics?
Where is NUS/NTU “zero
tolerance” towards the research malpractice of the World University Rankings
standards? By embracing and adopting it?
And indeed, whither
NRF’s claim to “high expectations” with regard to research funding as it
disburses millions of public funds to Universities who embrace and support
fraudulent and bogus quality brands that have no integrity and authenticity?
End the Culture of Fraud in Singapore Universities, now!
Integrity lights our Path to Excellence.
Do it Right and Do it Best!
.
