Heesen, Remco (2020) Questionable Research Practices and Credit in Academic Careers. [Preprint]

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Abstract

This paper investigates how the credit incentive to engage in questionable research practices (up to and including fraud) interacts with cumulative advantage, the process whereby high-status academics more easily increase their status than low-status academics. I use a mathematical model to highlight two dynamics that have not yet received much attention. First, due to cumulative advantage, questionable research practices may pay off over the course of an academic career even if they do not appear attractive at the level of individual publications. Second, because of the role of bottleneck moments in academic careers, questionable research practices may be selected for even if they do not provide a benefit in expectation. I also observe that, within the model, the most successful academics are the most likely to have benefited from fraud.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Heesen, Remco remco.heesen@uwa.edu.au 0000-0003-3823-944X
Keywords:	Philosophy of science; Credit economy; Cumulative advantage; Scientific fraud; Social epistemology; Formal epistemology
Subjects:	General Issues > Computer Simulation General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Game Theory General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science
Depositing User:	Remco Heesen
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2020 14:58
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2020 14:59
Item ID:	18406
Subjects:	General Issues > Computer Simulation General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Game Theory General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science
Date:	16 November 2020
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18406

Available Versions of this Item

• Questionable Research Practices and Credit in Academic Careers. (deposited 16 Nov 2020 14:58) [Currently Displayed]
  • Cumulative Advantage and the Incentive to Commit Fraud in Science. (deposited 08 Jul 2021 00:38)
    • Cumulative Advantage and the Incentive to Commit Fraud in Science. (deposited 29 Aug 2024 04:04)

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