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Plagiarism tolerated in rat race for promotion
Source: Xinhua |
March 14, 2011, Monday
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CHINA'S recent revocation of a national scientific award due to academic fraud has been welcomed by the public, but experts warn the country still has a long way to go to end to academic plagiarism.
On February 1, China's Ministry of Science and Technology revoked the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award given to Li Liansheng, former professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University in 2005.
An investigation found Li had plagiarized others' works and fabricated data in his winning project, research on key technologies for designing and manufacturing scroll compressors. Li was investigated after the science ministry received tip-offs from six professors (including four retired academics) in his university. The ministry subsequently canceled his prize and retrieved the money awarded.
Zhao Baojing, a senior official with the National Office for S&T Award, told Xinhua it was the first time China had withdrawn a national scientific honor. The revocation sparked pubic discussion over academic integrity - in fact, an ongoing discussion for quite a few years.
Shi Ying, vice director of Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, said the move demonstrated China's "zero-tolerance" for academic fraud, and would help clean up the academic field. "However, academic fraud is still rampant, which not only damages academic integrity, but also harms the innovative capacity of China in a broader sense," said Shi.
Anti-fraud activist Fang Zhouzi, who runs a website on anti-academic fraud from his Beijing home, said: "This is by far the harshest stance China has ever taken against academic fraud, which should be viewed as progress."
He noted China has a long way to go in the fight against academic fraud. He said the science ministry's move does not mean China is really cracking down on academic fraud. The plagiarist - who was honored in 2005 - might have not been exposed if it were not for years of unyielding efforts made by the six professors.
Cheating is common
The scandal highlights that academic fraud is alive and well in China. A survey conducted among 30,078 respondents in 2009 by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) showed that nearly half of the science-related workers in China's research institutes, universities, medical institutes and hospitals think academic cheating is "common."
Fang attributed the prevalence of academic fraud to lax punishment and loopholes in the academic evaluation system. Fang said "zero tolerance" was a slogan rather than the actual case. Many cases of academic fraud, even publicly exposed, were eventually "tolerated."
In some cases, the punishment was not harsh enough, Fang said, citing the example of Chen Jin, a former Shanghai Jiaotong University professor. In 2006, Chen was sacked for fabricating data about a digital computer chip that was developed with state-funding. Fang said Chen's misconduct actually amounted to swindling state funds.
Fang called for the government to set up a systematic channel to handle accusations of academic misconduct, so that "zero tolerance" was no longer a slogan.
In the survey by the China Association of Science and Technology, 30.3 percent of respondents blamed cheating on the current academic evaluation system based largely on the number of papers written and published.
Fang Zhouzi said the current academic appraisal system was weak and placed too much emphasis on the quantity of was academic papers and awards. Shi Ying echoed his view, saying appraisal standards include the quantity of papers published in academic journals, academic awards, and the number of research projects in which one has taken part.
"These are pegged to one's academic ranking and the research funds one can get. Driven by the prospect of getting much money, one would rather take risks," said Shi.
On February 1, China's Ministry of Science and Technology revoked the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award given to Li Liansheng, former professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University in 2005.
An investigation found Li had plagiarized others' works and fabricated data in his winning project, research on key technologies for designing and manufacturing scroll compressors. Li was investigated after the science ministry received tip-offs from six professors (including four retired academics) in his university. The ministry subsequently canceled his prize and retrieved the money awarded.
Zhao Baojing, a senior official with the National Office for S&T Award, told Xinhua it was the first time China had withdrawn a national scientific honor. The revocation sparked pubic discussion over academic integrity - in fact, an ongoing discussion for quite a few years.
Shi Ying, vice director of Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, said the move demonstrated China's "zero-tolerance" for academic fraud, and would help clean up the academic field. "However, academic fraud is still rampant, which not only damages academic integrity, but also harms the innovative capacity of China in a broader sense," said Shi.
Anti-fraud activist Fang Zhouzi, who runs a website on anti-academic fraud from his Beijing home, said: "This is by far the harshest stance China has ever taken against academic fraud, which should be viewed as progress."
He noted China has a long way to go in the fight against academic fraud. He said the science ministry's move does not mean China is really cracking down on academic fraud. The plagiarist - who was honored in 2005 - might have not been exposed if it were not for years of unyielding efforts made by the six professors.
Cheating is common
The scandal highlights that academic fraud is alive and well in China. A survey conducted among 30,078 respondents in 2009 by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) showed that nearly half of the science-related workers in China's research institutes, universities, medical institutes and hospitals think academic cheating is "common."
Fang attributed the prevalence of academic fraud to lax punishment and loopholes in the academic evaluation system. Fang said "zero tolerance" was a slogan rather than the actual case. Many cases of academic fraud, even publicly exposed, were eventually "tolerated."
In some cases, the punishment was not harsh enough, Fang said, citing the example of Chen Jin, a former Shanghai Jiaotong University professor. In 2006, Chen was sacked for fabricating data about a digital computer chip that was developed with state-funding. Fang said Chen's misconduct actually amounted to swindling state funds.
Fang called for the government to set up a systematic channel to handle accusations of academic misconduct, so that "zero tolerance" was no longer a slogan.
In the survey by the China Association of Science and Technology, 30.3 percent of respondents blamed cheating on the current academic evaluation system based largely on the number of papers written and published.
Fang Zhouzi said the current academic appraisal system was weak and placed too much emphasis on the quantity of was academic papers and awards. Shi Ying echoed his view, saying appraisal standards include the quantity of papers published in academic journals, academic awards, and the number of research projects in which one has taken part.
"These are pegged to one's academic ranking and the research funds one can get. Driven by the prospect of getting much money, one would rather take risks," said Shi.
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