Do we need a Hippocratic oath for academics?

It is time to consider how we can stop senior academics bullying their way on to research papers, says Trisha Greenhalgh

Published on
August 24, 2017
Last updated
August 24, 2017
Eleanor Shakespeare illustration (24 August 2017)
Source: Eleanor Shakespeare

POSTSCRIPT:

Print headline: A Hippocratic oath for academics might help keep scholars in line

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Reader's comments (3)

This practice has been going on for decades, and people gain promotion based on their publication record, even though their contribution was minimal or non-existent. It would be better for all Universities to eliminate this form of cheating and bullying in order to instill within the student population a higher degree of ethics and honesty. Another issue which has been growing in the past three decades is the bribery accepted by academics from the students in order to gain better qualifications without doing the work, sitting exams, or attending lectures. This is highly prevalent in Australian Universities with senior administrators and politicians turning a blind eye to this practice, sometimes because they were the ones who offered bribes in the past. The time is nigh to clean up this mess!
How about including in the Academic oath "I will not sleep with my students"?
But if Prof Sir doesn't get included toys, and non-tenured researchers, will be flung from the academic pram. And if lesser mortals (technicians) who have contributed idea's along with serious amounts of time, skills and knowledge to designing the equipment needed get an honest co-authorship, Prof Sir doesn't even like them getting an acknowledgement as it 'dilutes the brand', then your really out on a limb...

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