Zollman, Kevin J.S. (2019) The Scientific Ponzi Scheme. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Fraud and misleading research represent serious impediments to scientific progress. We must uncover the causes of fraud in order to understand how science functions and in order to develop strategies for combating epistemically detrimental behavior. This paper investigates how the incentive to commit fraud is enhanced by the structure of the scientific reward system. Science is an "accumulation process:" success begets resources which begets more success. Through a simplified mathematical model, I argue that this cyclic relationship enhances the appeal of fraud and makes combating it extremely difficult.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Zollman, Kevin J.S. kzollman@andrew.cmu.edu 0000-0001-9776-1890
Keywords:	Credit economy, Scientific fraud, Social epistemology
Subjects:	General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science
Depositing User:	Dr. Kevin Zollman
Date Deposited:	27 Jul 2019 11:58
Last Modified:	27 Jul 2019 11:58
Item ID:	16264
Subjects:	General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science
Date:	26 July 2019
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/16264

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