The blog post "Please Commit More Blatant Academic Fraud" argues that the current academic system, particularly in humanities, incentivizes meaningless, formulaic writing that adheres to rigid stylistic and theoretical frameworks rather than genuine intellectual exploration. The author encourages students to subvert this system by embracing "blatant academic fraud"—not plagiarism or fabrication, but rather strategically utilizing sophisticated language and fashionable theories to create impressive-sounding yet ultimately hollow work. This act of performative scholarship is presented as a form of protest, exposing the absurdity of a system that values appearance over substance and rewards conformity over original thought. The author believes this "fraud" will force the academy to confront its own superficiality and hopefully lead to meaningful reform.
celine/bibhtml introduces a set of web components designed to simplify creating and managing references within HTML documents. It leverages a bibliography file (BibTeX or CSL-JSON) to generate citations and a bibliography list automatically. By using custom HTML tags, authors can easily insert citations and the library dynamically renders them with links to the full bibliographic entry. This approach aims to offer a more integrated and streamlined workflow compared to traditional methods for handling references in web pages.
HN users generally praised the project for its simplicity and ease of use compared to existing citation tools. Several commenters appreciated the focus on web standards and the avoidance of JavaScript frameworks, leading to a lightweight and performant solution. Some suggested potential improvements, such as incorporating DOI lookups, customizable citation styles (like Chicago or MLA), and integration with Zotero or other reference managers. The discussion also touched on the benefits of using native web components and the challenges of rendering complex citations correctly within the flow of HTML. One commenter noted the similarity to the ::cite pseudo-element, suggesting the project could explore leveraging that functionality. Overall, the reception was positive, with many expressing interest in using or contributing to the project.
Summary of Comments ( 1 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43123837
Hacker News users generally agree with the author's premise that the current academic publishing system is broken and incentivizes bad research practices. Many commenters share anecdotes of questionable research practices they've witnessed, including pressure to produce positive results, manipulating data, and salami slicing publications. Some highlight the perverse incentives created by the "publish or perish" environment, arguing that it pushes researchers towards quantity over quality. Several commenters discuss the potential benefits of open science practices and pre-registration as ways to improve transparency and rigor. There is also a thread discussing the role of reviewers and editors in perpetuating these problems, suggesting they often lack the time or expertise to thoroughly evaluate submissions. A few dissenting voices argue that while problems exist, blatant fraud is rare and the author's tone is overly cynical.
The Hacker News post titled "Please Commit More Blatant Academic Fraud" (linking to jacobbuckman.com/2021-05-29-please-commit-more-blatant-academic-fraud/) generated several comments discussing the article's premise and related issues.
Several commenters debated the ethics and practicality of the suggestions in the original article. One commenter argued that while exaggerating the significance of research might be common, outright fabrication is rare and easily detectable. They emphasized the collaborative nature of science, suggesting that fraudulent data would quickly be exposed when others tried to build upon it. Another commenter pushed back against this, claiming that fabricated research often goes unnoticed, citing personal anecdotes and examples of retractions happening years after publication. This sparked a side discussion on the efficacy of peer review and the pressures that can lead researchers to fabricate data.
The topic of "p-hacking" and questionable research practices arose in several comments. One commenter described the pressure to publish, especially in fields with limited funding, leading researchers to manipulate data or interpretations to achieve statistically significant results. Another commenter highlighted the issue of publication bias, where studies with positive results are more likely to be published, creating a skewed perception of the research landscape. This commenter suggested pre-registration of studies as a potential solution.
Another thread of discussion centered around the "publish or perish" culture in academia. Commenters discussed how this pressure can incentivize unethical behavior and discourage risky or novel research. One commenter argued that the focus on metrics like publication count and impact factor has created a system that rewards quantity over quality. Another commenter suggested alternative evaluation metrics, such as focusing on the reproducibility and practical impact of research.
A few commenters also discussed the role of funding sources and their potential influence on research outcomes. One commenter raised concerns about industry-funded research and the potential for bias towards results that benefit the funder. Another commenter argued that the current funding system is overly competitive and favors established researchers, making it difficult for younger scientists to pursue unconventional ideas.
Finally, some commenters offered more nuanced perspectives on the original article's suggestions. One commenter suggested that while blatant fraud is unacceptable, there's a gray area between outright fabrication and overselling research findings. They argued that some level of "marketing" is necessary to secure funding and attract attention to important work. Another commenter highlighted the importance of open science practices, such as sharing data and code, as a way to promote transparency and deter fraud.