On Fact and Fraud: Cautionary Tales from the Front Lines of Science by David Goodstein (PDF)

Description

An in-depth look at scientific fraudFraud in science is not as easy to identify as one might think. When accusations of scientific misconduct occur, truth can often be elusive, and the cause of a scientist’s ethical misstep isn’t always clear. On Fact and Fraud looks at actual cases in which fraud was committed or alleged, explaining what constitutes scientific misconduct and what doesn’t, and providing readers with the ethical foundations needed to discern and avoid fraud wherever it may arise.In David Goodstein’s varied experience―as a physicist and educator, and as vice provost at Caltech, a job in which he was responsible for investigating all allegations of scientific misconduct―a deceptively simple question has come up time and again: what constitutes fraud in science? Here, Goodstein takes us on a tour of real controversies from the front lines of science and helps readers determine for themselves whether or not fraud occurred. Cases include, among others, those of Robert A. Millikan, whose historic measurement of the electron’s charge has been maligned by accusations of fraud; Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons and their “discovery” of cold fusion; Victor Ninov and the supposed discovery of element 118; Jan Hendrik Schön from Bell Labs and his work in semiconductors; and J. Georg Bednorz and Karl Müller’s discovery of high-temperature superconductivity, a seemingly impossible accomplishment that turned out to be real.On Fact and Fraud provides a user’s guide to identifying, avoiding, and preventing fraud in science, along the way offering valuable insights into how modern science is practiced.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “The strength of this slim volume is that the author knows and understands his subject well and can talk from experience and from the heart.”—Michael J.G. Farthing, Times Higher Education”Physicist David Goodstein asks why some scientists are driven to misrepresent results. His book On Fact and Fraud uses well-known cases to look at how science is conducted and to remind us that not all ‘fraudulent’ scientists are guilty.”—Joanne Baker and Sara Abdulla, Nature”A textbook on scientific ethics that begins with a primer on inductive reasoning and ends with university guidelines for research conduct sounds dull, but David Goodstein has created an entertaining book studded with laugh-out-loud moments. . . . Goodstein’s candour and humour make this book a delight to read, and he’s very good at explaining physics, too.”—Jonathan Beard, New Scientist”Offers a short and engaging education for those who want to know more about understanding and detecting true fraud. . . . Since scientific fraud is not going away, we need greater understanding and education to help us detect and deal with it. David Goodstein’s book fulfils an important need. This is a valuable book and one not to be missed.”—Laura H. Greene, Physics World”I was very happy to find a book that starts out from the same assumption that I have: that cases of fraud in science–including alleged, suspected and actual cases–can reveal something about the way science works. On Fact and Fraud: Cautionary Tales from the Front Lines of Science is an accessible, well-written contribution to a relatively understudied area.”—Eugenie Samuel Reich, Geochemical News”On Fact and Fraud is a thought-provoking analysis of scientific ethics and, in particular, the way the ‘reward system’ and ‘authority structure’ of research can lead people astray.”—Clive Cookson, Financial Times”Offers a useful and lucid account of different examples of scientific fraud or misconduct, and describes the motivations or risk factors.” ― Federal Technology Watch”A genial guide, [Goodstein] shows that sometimes the deciding line between fact, self-delusion and outright fraud is hard to spot.”—Peter Forbes, The Independent”This excellent little book . . . challenges some of the conventional notions of where the line lies that separates good from bad or real from phony science.”—Harry Eagar, Maui News”Sadly for science, not all fraudsters get caught. For starters, David Goodstein says, serious misconduct isn’t always easy to identify. Self-deception, an ends-justifying-means mentality and concealing controversial research can muddy the ethical waters. Goodstein, head of the fraud squad at Pasadena’s California Institute of Technology, claims it’s possible to set up protocols to reduce faking, fabrication and plagiarism.”—Leigh Dayton, Australian”This short book, written by an insider, challenges the reader on the nature and ethics of scientific endeavour.”—Tony Stubbings, Chemistry World”On Fact and Fraud is a much larger story than the book’s brief number of pages suggest. Writer and physicist Goodstein fully describes components necessary for fraudulent science and provides fascinating case studies illustrating a variety of nuances to the major thesis. He carefully constructs chapters to reveal personalities, circumstances, and evidence behind claims of fraud. . . . This cautionary tale will beguile readers while providing a basis to assess future claims.” ― Choice”[T]his short but lucidly written book, enlivened by subtle wit, does far more than recounting cases of fraud. It throws an insider’s light on the nature of scientific endeavor, which is rather different from the way outsiders often portray it. While some passages require specialist knowledge, the general message is clear and so the work can be appreciated by lay readers with an interest in science.”—Gustav Jahoda, Metapsychology Online Reviews”Goodstein’s book really shines as an insider’s perspective of how science works in the nitty-gritty, hardscrabble, competitive world of professional research.”—Michael Shermer, American Journal of Physics”This volume is essential for anyone interested in the history of science in Norway and in the history of Trondheim, but it also offers excellent material for comparison with other scientific societies in Europe and elsewhere during the last 250 years.”—Karl Grandin, ISIS Review “Bracing reading. On Fact and Fraud is important because it combines a considered ethical stance and an analysis of the conditions under which fraud takes place with recognition of the all-too-real difficulties of handling, under pressure, hard-to-reproduce effects. This is a smart, deft book by someone deeply familiar with the moral and ethical complexities in contemporary science.”―Peter Galison, Harvard University”The success and credibility of science is anchored in a culture of complete openness. For more than twenty years, Caltech physicist David Goodstein has been on the front lines defending that culture against attacks of fraud and self-delusion. In this tightly written book, he shares insights drawn from cases that have shaken the physical sciences.”―Robert L. Park, author of Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science”This is a superb book. Goodstein not only discusses the subject in an accessible way, but his thoughts are refreshing to a working physicist such as me, one who has wrestled with many of these issues. It will be the definitive book on the subject. I know of nothing that competes. Goodstein is clearly an expert.”―Richard A. Muller, University of California, Berkeley”This book includes considerable material of interest. On Fact and Fraud offers an interesting read for anyone who has a career focus on these topics.”―Michael W. Kalichman, director of the Research Ethics Program at the University of California, San Diego”Goodstein’s important book explores how science is really done, and distinguishes itself from other books on the topic in that it is a story told from the inside, by a physicist. Goodstein examines the structure of the entire enterprise, from the motivations of individual scientists, to the reward system, to the corridors of power. Along the way, he destroys a number of popular and enduring myths.”―Anthony Tyson, University of California, Davis From the Inside Flap “Bracing reading. On Fact and Fraud is important because it combines a considered ethical stance and an analysis of the conditions under which fraud takes place with recognition of the all-too-real difficulties of handling, under pressure, hard-to-reproduce effects. This is a smart, deft book by someone deeply familiar with the moral and ethical complexities in contemporary science.”–Peter Galison, Harvard University”The success and credibility of science is anchored in a culture of complete openness. For more than twenty years, Caltech physicist David Goodstein has been on the front lines defending that culture against attacks of fraud and self-delusion. In this tightly written book, he shares insights drawn from cases that have shaken the physical sciences.”–Robert L. Park, author ofSuperstition: Belief in the Age of Science”This is a superb book. Goodstein not only discusses the subject in an accessible way, but his thoughts are refreshing to a working physicist such as me, one who has wrestled with many of these issues. It will be the definitive book on the subject. I know of nothing that competes. Goodstein is clearly an expert.”–Richard A. Muller, University of California, Berkeley”This book includes considerable material of interest. On Fact and Fraud offers an interesting read for anyone who has a career focus on these topics.”–Michael W. Kalichman, director of the Research Ethics Program at the University of California, San Diego”Goodstein’s important book explores how science is really done, and distinguishes itself from other books on the topic in that it is a story told from the inside, by a physicist. Goodstein examines the structure of the entire enterprise, from the motivations of individual scientists, to the reward system, to the corridors of power. Along the way, he destroys a number of popular and enduring myths.”–Anthony Tyson, University of California, Davis From the Back Cover “Bracing reading. On Fact and Fraud is important because it combines a considered ethical stance and an analysis of the conditions under which fraud takes place with recognition of the all-too-real difficulties of handling, under pressure, hard-to-reproduce effects. This is a smart, deft book by someone deeply familiar with the moral and ethical complexities in contemporary science.”–Peter Galison, Harvard University”The success and credibility of science is anchored in a culture of complete openness. For more than twenty years, Caltech physicist David Goodstein has been on the front lines defending that culture against attacks of fraud and self-delusion. In this tightly written book, he shares insights drawn from cases that have shaken the physical sciences.”–Robert L. Park, author of Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science”This is a superb book. Goodstein not only discusses the subject in an accessible way, but his thoughts are refreshing to a working physicist such as me, one who has wrestled with many of these issues. It will be the definitive book on the subject. I know of nothing that competes. Goodstein is clearly an expert.”–Richard A. Muller, University of California, Berkeley”This book includes considerable material of interest. On Fact and Fraud offers an interesting read for anyone who has a career focus on these topics.”–Michael W. Kalichman, director of the Research Ethics Program at the University of California, San Diego”Goodstein’s important book explores how science is really done, and distinguishes itself from other books on the topic in that it is a story told from the inside, by a physicist. Goodstein examines the structure of the entire enterprise, from the motivations of individual scientists, to the reward system, to the corridors of power. Along the way, he destroys a number of popular and enduring myths.”–Anthony Tyson, University of California, Davis About the Author David Goodstein is the Frank J. Gilloon Distinguished Teaching and Service Professor in the Department of Physics at the California Institute of Technology. His books include Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil and Feynman’s Lost Lecture. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐David Goodstein is a professor and former vice provost at Caltech, and led the development of Caltech’s rules of conduct. In this volume he discusses the philosophy of honesty in research, the challenge of reducing it to enforceable rules, and presents some illustrative case studies.Before addressing what this book is, let me address what it is not. It is not essentially a popularization of science, or even of the cases it discusses. While some casual readers may find it interesting, it is really addressed to active researchers and those who study ethics. Goodstein is a good writer, and a notable science educator, so his style is accessible; but the book is a serious one, and best suited to a reader concerned with the details of research ethics.The author lays out the history and general concept of research ethics. He then sets up a strawman set of nice sounding rules, only to explain why they are deficient. He goes through cases of true fraud, of fraud accused but ultimately not committed, of bad science that was not fraud (cold fusion), and finally too-good-to-be-real science that was actually real (high temperature superconductivity).Goodstein offers a deep exploration of the difficulty in defining fraud in the real–and complicated and not straightforward–world of research as scientists actually conduct it. Sometimes there is a fine line between filtering data and misrepresenting results, sometimes there is a fine line between emphasizing the result the researcher believes to have achieved and de-emphasizing contrary evidence. Goodstein addresses the real world with solid understanding and experience, and with practical advice.

⭐I had to buy this book for one of my seminar classes in college. Surprisingly, it is the only book I have been forced to buy in college that I enjoyed. I will not speak on the author’s credentials, but the content is both entertaining and informative. There are several specific sections where no matter how dry the material appeared, the author presented it in an entertaining way. A basic interest in science and ethics is needed to read the book, but you do not have to be a fanatic of either to get from beginning to end. It is certainly not a book that has you turning the pages continuously. Yet, for it being a required textbook, my negative attitude at the beginning turned positive by the end.

⭐As an historian, I would not recommend this book to other historians and scholars as a definitive statement about historical events. As a professor training physics majors about responsible conduct of research it is a great teaching tool because it’s an easy read and good starting point for discussions about ethical behaviors. Since I am an historian I augmented the history with additional details and corrections. It was written from lecture notes in a course taught to undergraduates.

⭐Do a lot with forensic science ethics. Goodstein wrote a great chapter in the Federal Court’s Reference Manual for Scientific Evidence (3d ed.), and is the head ethics guy at Cal Tech. This is his textbook for physicists and such at Cal Tech. It’s clear, it’s well-written, and gives a little physics to the ethics reader. It’s also pretty short. Highly recommended.

⭐David Goodstein is a physicist at the California Institute of Technology who was for a time head of its science police — not what the school called it, but that’s what it was. At the time of his appointment, he says, he thought physics was mostly immune from deliberate fraud. Scintillation counters don’t lie.Much more problematic, he thought, was biomedical research, where results were necessarily mushier and where it was harder to control for every variable.He quickly found that physics isn’t immune from deliberate fraud when two cases presented themselves at his own institute. That shock set off a long rumination, resulting in this excellent little book, “On Fact and Fraud,” which challenges some of the conventional notions of where the line lies that separates good from bad or real from phony science.He uses real examples, from cold fusion to Milliken’s measurement of the charge of the electron to high temperature superconductivity. This lets him make the point that science is the investigation of the unknown and, as such, there can be sharp surprises.The discoverers of high temperature superconductivity were such mavericks that they committed a kind of fraud — they concealed what they were doing, because it seemed too cranky to conventional thinkers. Yet they avoided what Goodstein labels the only kind of scientific fraud, which is the manipulation of what happens in the laboratory.That they recorded scrupulously, and — surprise! — they found what they were looking for and won a Nobel Prize. This must give everyone pause.But the story of superconductivity is so unusual that for a first cut, plain old ordinary cheating and self-delusion will suffice as usual suspects in most other cases. A good deal of thought went into the problem of scientific fraud in the 1990s, and Goodstein presents a list of 15 ideas about it that gained wide currency. All unworkable, he says.Goodstein defines scientific fraud narrowly: “Scientific fraud consists of an explicit and well-defined act: faking or fabricating data or plagiarism.”He does not mention climate science. I believe he misses a kind of constructive fraud we have come to see too often there: Withholding of data or methods, cherry-picking (sometimes valid, sometimes not valid) data to sell a result and claiming scientific validity for models, as opposed to observations.This may not constitute the kind of fraud that a college’s science cop can investigate in a legalistic manner, but it presents a question of integrity far more consequential for the people who consume science than the most sedulously faked lab notebook.If the lab notebook was confected, and if the apparent results were important, that eventually will out. (And, as we now know, some of the leading climate modelers, like Stephen Schneider, claim not to even keep lab notebooks, which would seem to fit Goodstein’s definition of fraud in reporting.) The other kind of science fakery may not be revealed, at least not for a long, damaging time.

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