Getting funded is not the same as succeeding (Seth Godin)

One of the reason I can think of when I wrote the blog entry entitled Scientist falsified research data...... on the reasons why some scientists will falsified research data (in my opinion) is to get more research grant.

However, Seth Godin has a very neat opinion regarding getting funded and be successful.  In his opinion, getting funded is not the same as succeeding.  Totally agree on this.

In his blog, he mentioned about this "I don't care so much how much money you raised, or who you raised it from. I care a lot about who your customers are and why (or if) they're happy."

And I hope he don't mind when I try to change part of the statement to make it more relevant to comment on Philippe Bois's act to falsified data in two published papers, "I don't care so much how much money you raised, or who you raised it from. I care a lot about how genuine your published data is, which has been validated, before I consider how useful the published data to the society".

Think about it.

Scientist falsified research data......

The act of Philippe Bois to falsified data in two published papers has caused him to be banned from participating in federally funded research projects for 3 years.

This news suddenly made me remembered of  The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything which I read few years ago.

The news for the act of distrust also travel quite fast though. 

I always can't imagine why there is a scientist who wish to falsified the data.  One the top of that, I really can't think of a solid reason for his act.  To me, publication in science is always been viewed as knowledge sharing.

Is it due to the following reason:

• To get more research grant,
• To get his job secured, or
• To get promoted as soon as possible by achieving KPI set by the institute?

Not sure if there first case was done by Hwang Woo-suk in Korean Stem Cell Scandal?

I guess, currently there is a sad shift in the purpose for scientists to do their research and get their finding (s) published, and I hope scientific committee should be aware of it and take it seriously.