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Scientific Misconduct: Why Is Science Such Fertile Ground For Harassment And What Can Be Done About It?
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Turner, Niescja E. |
| Copyright Year | 2018 |
| Abstract | Times have changed since she shared those thoughts twenty years ago. Now that we’re in the #metoo reckoning, it’s tempting to think we can bid these harassers goodbye. We are entering a time and place where women’s concerns are beginning to be heard, and I think it’s illustrative to consider what makes science — and particularly the culture of science — such fertile ground for these abuses of power, and what people can do to help change it. Who are the targets of abuse in science? Harassment is always about power, so the person being targeted will nearly always be outranked by the harasser. Anyone can be targeted, but we see most of this directed toward women, people of color, or other marginalized groups. For example, a recent study of astronomers found that 28 percent of women of color felt unsafe in the workplace due to their race and 40 percent due to their gender or sex. They also report that 18 percent of women of color and 12 percent of white women skipped professional events because of these concerns, leading to lost opportunities for networking and career advancement.1 The most likely targets are the most vulnerable careerwise: graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early-career scientists, or pre-tenure faculty. To understand how this system is perpetuated, we need to understand how scientific careers are made. Standardized tests and transcripts are not robust predictors of success in research. In fact, there aren’t many ways to objectively tell who will have the patience, diligence, and drive to use their native intellect and skills to make discoveries. So science relies on old-fashioned recommendation letters and wordof-mouth. In addition to the obvious opportunities for bias to creep in and cause harm (and it does!), this amplifies any preexisting power differentials. Modern science follows an apprenticeship model. A senior scientist supports and mentors a team of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who assist in the group leader’s research. A typical graduate student will want to join a thriving research group for all the opportunities that come with it: cutting-edge research topics, access to the best datasets or experimental apparatus, steady funding to attend conferences in their field, networking opportunities for future jobs, and, of course, mentorship from a highly successful scientist. If things go well, they also receive a recommendation letter from their respected mentor. Once in such a group, students usually try to stay, since switching to a different adviser can mean starting over on their research, potentially adding years to their time in graduate school. There is great incentive for junior researchers to try and get along, no matter what. This entire structure gives the head of the research group tremendous power and influence over their team. Junior SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT: WHY IS SCIENCE SUCH FERTILE GROUND FOR HARASSMENT AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? NIESCJA TURNER |
| Starting Page | 10 |
| Ending Page | 13 |
| Page Count | 4 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Volume Number | 98 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?amp=&=&=&article=1063&context=physics_faculty&filename=0&type=additional |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
