A epidemia de más condutas na ciência: o fracasso do tratamento moralizador

Abstract

The article deals with proliferation of violations of ethical norms of science, that started to develop a few decades ago. It will be referred to as the The most important types of these violations are varieties of fraud (mainly falsification and fabrication of empirical data), and such forms of author misconduct as plagiarism, self-plagiarism, etc. The article is divided into six sections. In first, topic is introduced and some terminology clarified. In second, evidence is presented which corroborates existence of epidemic. The third deals with reaction to epidemic, by characterizing its dynamics in terms of being dominated by conflict between two positions: moralizing one - which promotes application of moralizing treatment to combat epidemic; and negationist one - which tends to deny existence of epidemic, and resists moralizing measures. The fourth explores causes of epidemic. A distinction is introduced between productivism and productionism, and an analysis is proposed of ways productivism fosters violations of ethical norms of science. The fifth consists of a critique of moralizing treatment, based on its inadequacies, mainly its inefficacy. The conclusion points to an alternative to moralizing treatment.