On ethics, the pursuit of knowledge, truth and status in the hallowed halls of academe

Abstract

Advancement in academe is largely on the basis of research output; that is, refereed journal papers. This paper first explores pressures on academics, especially emerging researchers, when English is not a first language. We assess why, when faculty members rush to improve their station that they may elect to circumvent ethical protocols to accelerate their promotion and status. The resulting unethical behavior includes plagiarism and forms of duplication such as co-submission. Consideration is then given to the wider implications of both plagiarism and the theft of intellectual property, and the role these have played in the development of individuals, the university and society.

Keywords: ethics; plagiarism; promotion; publication; social evolution.