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Harvard University Research Misconduct Investigation Details
Research misconduct allegations often prompt extensive investigations, usually conducted by the institution where the alleged misconduct occurred. These investigations are internal employment matters and can significantly impact someone’s career if falsely accused. Consequently, most investigations are kept confidential even upon completion.
However, details of a misconduct investigation conducted by Harvard University recently became public through an unconventional route. The accused Harvard Business School professor, Francesca Gino, filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Harvard and an external research team that accused her of misconduct. As part of the lawsuit dismissal process, Harvard submitted its investigator’s report, which the overseeing judge made public, revealing the investigation’s findings.
Background of Misconduct Allegations and Lawsuit:
Gino, a faculty member on administrative leave, specialized in researching human behavior at Harvard Business School. One of her prominent studies, which focused on the correlation between signing a form before filling it out and accuracy, had since been retracted due to replication issues identified by the original authors. Subsequent investigations revealed potential data fabrication in the study.
While Gino was not directly involved in the data fabrication, additional discrepancies in her other research papers captured the attention of the Data Colada team, leading to further examination. Their findings of potential research fraud prompted Harvard to conduct its investigation, resulting in Gino’s administrative leave and tenure potential revocation. Journals that published Gino’s problematic papers were also alerted to the issues.
However, the situation escalated when Gino filed a defamation lawsuit against Harvard and the Data Colada team, alleging a coordinated effort to destroy her career without evidence. The lawsuit accused Harvard of mishandling the investigation and proceeding improperly.
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