For the most part, universities are a way of life in many countries. Faculty members collect factual data and assess new areas of knowledge. However, no one can foresee the tortuous path that the faculty endures to determine where experimentation and observation may lead. Then there is always the mode of data interpretation, data manipulation, and data reporting in various learned journals. The university requires that the faculty follow the path of freedom of thought and, in the academic sense, unrestricted communication. In many cases, it is through the ethical professionalism of the faculty members that world knowledge and technology advances. Yet there are continuous reports of unethical behavior in the form of misrepresentation of data, cheating, and plagiarism at the highest levels university faculty. The causes are manifold, whether they are (1) the need to advance from the lower to the higher faculty ranks, (2) to compete successfully for and obtain research funding, or (3) recognition by one’s peers.

The pursuit of a career in academia requires (1) the ability to teach and impart knowledge to the students, (2) freedom of thought and, in the academic sense, (3) unrestricted communication. It is through the professionalism of the members of the worldwide academic community that world knowledge and technology advances. Yet the individuals in academia are hired to impart their knowledge to members of the younger generation aged (approximately) eighteen to twenty-two years. It is during this impressionable time that the younger generation become exposed to the vagaries of higher education as well as the vagaries of ethical behavior.

Of course, in spite of the examples presented in this book, not all academic faculty and staff are involved in misconduct. The overwhelming majority of faculty are extremely hardworking, and their workloads in these current budgetary circumstances are only increasing. In fact, faculty members and staff members with a high level of honesty would feel a high level of guilt if they were guilty of misconduct. However, it is the responsibility of the professor, staff member, or student to confront cheating and misconduct head-on. It is these persons who should recognize cheating and misconduct and who must offer suitable punishment as a deterrent. There appears to be a general consensus between students and professors as to reasons for ignoring cheating, which suggests a general impression of denial. This attitude of nonreporting is, in itself, a form of cheating and it is pitiful. In the adage of the Old West, circling the wagons to protect all involved is not the way to deal with dishonest behavior.

However, it is the continuous reports of unethical behavior in the form of data manipulation, cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of unacceptable behavior that draw attention to the issues of misconduct. The causes of misconduct are manifold, including the need to advance in one of the chosen disciplines or to compete successfully for and obtain research funding. Disappointingly, individuals who are oriented to any form of dishonesty are those who had previously displayed little or no consideration for the feelings of others and are therefore more interested in themselves (at the expense of the students) and in getting others to recognize them by any means necessary.

Like a previous book (Ethics in Science and Engineering, J. G. Speight and R. Foote, Scrivener-Wiley, 2011), this project was triggered by a combination of factors – (1) awareness by the author of the increasing frequency of unethical practices in the realm of education, (2) recognition of the focus of the literature on ethical behavior, and (3) the realization that ethical/unethical behavior is the outcome of choice and is not due to chance.

There is no attempt to be judgmental but rather to encourage everyone to reflect on themselves philosophically (that is, in terms of individual values and beliefs) since it was absolutely clear that personal motivations and preferences can override any other contributory factor.

In fact, in recent years, as the external regulatory environment has expanded and ethical issues have become more prevalent, it became apparent that it was time for a careful review of existing policies and guidelines within the university systems. Thus, it is important for any university to clearly state the expected standards for ethical behavior. There must also be a systematic and realistic review of the wide variety of conflicts of interest faced by the university and there must be the appropriate means to monitor the potential for ethical conflicts and to be alert to the need to seek guidance from nonacademic experts.

On the basis of the observations and research by the author, this publication seeks to advance basic requirements for the application of ethical behavior, to mitigate the frequent occurrences of misconduct, which currently and frequently appear in academic institutions. Of course, the only way to stamp out unethical behavior by academic faculty and staff is for a university to first recognize that it does indeed occur and that such behavior must be dealt with seriously and not by a mere slap on the wrist for the miscreants. This is more difficult than it may seem.

This book examines the potential for unethical behavior by all academic staff – professionals and nonprofessionals. Documented examples are presented to show where the matter could have been halted before it became an ethical issue. The author also looks to the future to see what is in store for young people as they enter the academic world to further their education and even to seek job opportunities.

It is not the purpose of this book to determine causality or simply dependency or to comment on the reason for using mathematical modeling (or computer simulation) in the absence of data and the acceptance of untested assumptions. Nor is it the purpose of the book to comment on the use of incorrect analyses which can involve correct answers to incorrect questions or incorrect answers to correct questions. Data manipulation, the outcome of which is misconduct in research (or cheating in research), usually results when there has been a lack of appropriate controls (comparisons), collapsing data to provide simpler interpretations, invalid measurements, invalid analyses, as well as invalid assumptions.

Furthermore, this book is not meant to be judgmental but to encourage every faculty and staff member as well as student to reflect on their actions (that is, in terms of individual values and beliefs) since it is clear that personal motivations and preferences can override any other ethical and contributory factor. The potential for unethical behavior within the university system is examined, and documented examples are presented to show where the incident occurred. The author also looks to the future to see what is in store for faculty members and how (or if) the potential for unethical behavior can be negated.

Finally, it is not possible to claim completeness in a project of this nature but it is hoped that this preliminary treatment will stimulate discussions about ethics among students and faculty members within universities and other educational institutions. There is a further hope that such internal and external examination will encourage students and faculty to raise their own standards of ethical conduct without having to be forced to do so. Also, it is not the intent of the author to act as judge and jury but merely to report what has been found and presented elsewhere. Readers can then decide for themselves whether or not they require more details of each cited incident.

James G. Speight, PhD, DSc
Laramie Wyoming, USA