Cut and Paste Makes Waste
Nature in a new editorial entitled Copy and Paste (ok, ok cut and paste is real old fashioned, but Eli still has a tub of library paste in the basement) gives credit where credit it is due in the controversy about Edward Wegman, his euphonious report and serial copy and paste.
That doubts about the 2006 report have resulted in concrete action is mainly down to the sterling work of an anonymous climate blogger called Deep Climate.and points out that
The fact that 14 months have passed since Bradley's complaint without it being resolved is disheartening but not unusual. An examination of George Mason University's misconduct policies suggests that investigations should be resolved within a year of the initial complaint, including time for an appeal by the faculty member in question.and send several well known bloggers blood pressure through the roof
Long misconduct investigations do not serve anyone, except perhaps university public-relations departments that might hope everyone will have forgotten about a case by the time it wraps up. But in cases such as Wegman's, in which the work in question has been cited in policy debates, there is good reason for haste. Policy informed by rotten research is likely to have its own soft spots. Those who have been wronged deserve resolution of the matter. And one can hardly suppose that those who have been wrongfully accused enjoy living under a cloud for months.Popcorn please
Posts
6 comments:
Brilliant news! Serious thanks to DC and John Mashey, now that Nature has weighed-in Wegman et al.'s house of cards surely has only limited time before the whole edifice collapses.
Let's hope that GMU decides to throw Wegman's team under a bus.
One might say to the report's author, "You phony us", but sweet it ain't.
Perchance the word is "eponymous"?
That was one heck of a PPG episode. Will everything be hunky dory if Wegman, Said et al. said sorry, just like Buttercup?
Let's hope that GMU decides to throw Wegman's team under a bus.
Let's hope Wegman throws the people under the bus who put him up to this. All he has to do is tell the truth.
A similar thought had crossed my mind, but with the unforgiving, playing-for-keeps, big-stake interests that are being catered to, I do wonder if Wegman, Barton and McI would last long enough to testify anywhere at all.
Or perhaps I just watch waaay too many amoral thrillers.
cut and paste, repent at leisure....
Post a Comment