FAIr Game
Testing Academic Integrity
Testing Academic Integrity
Scenario: You want to purchase equipment that is not budgeted. What do you do?
Most Ethical Response: You write a case for it and request additional funds.
Partially Correct: You submit a proposal revising the allocated budget to accommodate the equipment.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You buy the equipment from other allocated funds.
Summary: In summary, the most ethical and responsible choices are options 2 and 3, which involve following proper budgetary procedures and seeking additional funds or revising the allocated budget when there is a legitimate need. Option 1, reallocating funds without approval, is generally not recommended, as it can lead to financial mismanagement. Option 4 may be considered if the equipment is non-essential and cannot be justified within the budget constraints.
Scenario: A student tells you they cannot complete till mid-term but will be able to by the year-end assessment. What do you do?
Most Ethical Response: You ask them what the problem is and why it is being delayed? And offer any help that is needed but accept the deadline extension till the year-end assessment.
Partially Correct: You allow them to submit the work towards the year-end assessment.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You give an extension of a week's time, post which it will be marked late.
Summary: nan
Scenario: You formulated a survey and circulated the survey. After a day, once you already have a few responses, you modify the survey. What will you do with your findings?
Most Ethical Response: You don't remove any responses and inform the team about the changes made
Partially Correct: You keep all the responses but make a note of the date you make the changes as well as mention what the changes were.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You only keep the new responses
Summary: In summary, the most responsible and ethical approaches are options 3, 4, which involve maintaining transparency and keeping all responses. Option 4 provides even more detail by documenting the date of changes and specifying what those changes were. These approaches are essential for maintaining the integrity of your research and ensuring accurate data analysis.
Scenario: A student offers gifts for better grades. Do you report it?
Most Ethical Response: You firmly decline the gifts and report the incident to the school administration or relevant authorities.
Partially Correct: You decline the gifts but do not report the incident, hoping the student will not repeat the behavior.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You accept the gifts but give the student the grades they earned, making it clear that gifts do not influence your assessment.
Summary: Declining the gifts and reporting the incident to the school administration or relevant authorities, is the ethical response. This approach upholds academic integrity, avoids compromising professional standards, and ensures a fair and unbiased evaluation of students based on merit rather than external influences. It also helps maintain trust in the educational system and prevents the potential for future unethical behavior.
Scenario: You have an opportunity for paid consultancy work that aligns with your academic field. Is it ethical to use ChatGPT to complete this work more quickly?
Most Ethical Response: You use ChatGPT as a tool to assist in the consultancy work, but you clearly disclose to the client that AI technology was utilized.
Partially Correct: You use ChatGPT to generate initial ideas, but the final work is extensively reviewed and edited by you before submission.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You use ChatGPT to complete the consultancy work without disclosing its involvement.
Summary: Using ChatGPT as a tool but editing it and adding human intervention, is the more ethical approach. This ensures honesty and transparency with the client, and it aligns with professional standards. It allows for the efficient use of technology while maintaining the integrity of the consultancy work and the client's trust.
Scenario: Do you claim a student's work as your own to secure a patent?
Most Ethical Response: You collaborate with the student, ensuring they are acknowledged and involved in the patent process.
Partially Correct: You give the student credit but proceed with the patent independently.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You claim the student's work as your own and pursue a patent without giving credit. You decline to pursue a patent to avoid any ethical concerns related to claiming someone else's work. Do you use influence to secure a position for a family member? You refrain from using your influence to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. You recommend your family member, but you encourage them to go through the standard application and interview process. You use your influence to secure a position for a family member without disclosing the relationship. You recommend your family member for the position but make it clear to the hiring authorities about the relationship
Summary: Collaborating with the student and ensuring they are acknowledged and involved in the patent process, is the ethical response. This approach respects the intellectual contributions of the student, promotes fairness, and aligns with principles of academic integrity and ethical research conduct. It also recognizes the importance of giving credit where it is due.
Scenario: Do you use influence to secure a position for a family member?
Most Ethical Response: You refrain from using your influence to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.
Partially Correct: You recommend your family member, but you encourage them to go through the standard application and interview process.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You use your influence to secure a position for a family member without disclosing the relationship.
Summary: Recommending your family member but being transparent about the relationship, is the more ethical approach. This ensures honesty in the hiring process, allows for fair consideration of candidates, and helps to maintain the integrity of the recruitment process. Transparency in such situations is crucial to avoiding conflicts of interest and promoting fairness in professional settings.
Scenario: Do you engage in a personal relationship with a student?
Most Ethical Response: You avoid personal relationships with students to maintain professional boundaries and avoid conflicts of interest
Partially Correct: You engage in a personal relationship with a student but only after they are no longer under your direct supervision or enrolled in your courses
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You engage in a personal relationship with a student without considering the potential ethical implications
Summary: Avoiding personal relationships with students to maintain professional boundaries, is the more ethical response. This approach helps prevent conflicts of interest, protects the well-being of students, and upholds the integrity of the educational environment. Personal relationships between educators and students can create power imbalances and ethical concerns, making it important to prioritize professionalism and maintain clear boundaries.
Scenario: Do you pressure junior faculty into supporting your viewpoints in academic matters?
Most Ethical Response: You refrain from seeking support from junior faculty to avoid any perception of undue influence
Partially Correct: You encourage open discussions with junior faculty, presenting your viewpoints but also allowing for diverse opinions
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You pressure junior faculty into supporting your viewpoints without considering their perspectives
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you allocate departmental resources to benefit your own research?
Most Ethical Response: You collaborate with other faculty members, seeking input on resource allocation decisions to ensure fairness
Partially Correct: You allocate resources fairly, considering the needs and priorities of all faculty members, including your own
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You allocate departmental resources to benefit your own research without considering the needs of other faculty members
Summary: Allocating resources fairly while considering the needs and priorities of all faculty members, is the more ethical response. This approach promotes a collaborative and inclusive environment within the department, prevents favoritism, and ensures that resources are distributed in a manner that benefits the collective academic goals of the department. It reflects a commitment to fairness and the well-being of the academic community.
Scenario: Do you make a course artificially difficult to weed out weaker students?
Most Ethical Response: You design a challenging course with the intention of fostering growth and learning, providing necessary support for all students to succeed.
Partially Correct: You communicate the expectations and challenges of the course clearly, allowing students to make informed decisions about enrollment
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You intentionally make a course artificially difficult to weed out weaker students.
Summary: Designing a course with appropriate levels of challenge to foster learning and growth for all students and communicating the challenges before enrollment, is the more ethical response. This approach prioritizes the educational goals of the course while considering the diverse needs and abilities of students. It reflects a commitment to fair and effective teaching practices, promoting an inclusive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to succeed.
Scenario: Do you use your position to unduly promote your own research?
Most Ethical Response: You actively support and promote the work of junior researchers or colleagues to provide visibility to a diverse range of research.
Partially Correct: You promote your research along with highlighting the work of other researchers, ensuring a balanced and inclusive approach
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You use your position to unduly promote your own research without considering the work of other researchers
Summary: Promoting your research along with highlighting the work of other researchers in a balanced and inclusive manner, is the more ethical approach. This demonstrates a commitment to the broader academic community, acknowledges the contributions of others, and avoids the appearance of self-serving behavior. Fostering a collaborative and supportive environment is crucial for the integrity of academic institutions.
Scenario: Do you teach the class content in a biased way to advance personal beliefs?
Most Ethical Response: You present the class content in a balanced manner, incorporating diverse viewpoints and encouraging critical thinking
Partially Correct: You openly share your personal beliefs but actively encourage students to explore and form their own opinions based on critical analysis
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You teach the class content in a biased way to advance your personal beliefs without considering diverse perspectives.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you use anonymity in peer reviews to unfairly criticise competitors?
Most Ethical Response: You provide constructive and fair feedback in peer reviews, regardless of personal relationships or competition
Partially Correct: You use peer reviews to highlight the strengths of competitors' work alongside constructive feedback
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You use the anonymity of peer reviews to unfairly criticize competitors in a way that is not constructive
Summary: Providing constructive and fair feedback in peer reviews regardless of personal relationships or competition, is the more ethical response. This upholds the integrity of the peer review process, contributing to the scholarly advancement of knowledge. Fair and constructive reviews are essential for maintaining a robust and objective academic community.
Scenario: Do you omit a failed experiment from a paper to make the findings more attractive?
Most Ethical Response: You include the failed experiment in the paper, acknowledging the challenges and limitations of the study, and providing a more accurate representation of the research process.
Partially Correct: You redo the experiment and in case it fails again, you highlight the successful aspects of the experiment while briefly mentioning the failed component, offering a balanced presentation of the findings
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You omit the failed experiment from the paper to make the findings more attractive, presenting a biased and incomplete picture
Summary: Including the failed experiment in the paper and acknowledging the challenges and limitations, is the more ethical response. This approach promotes transparency and honesty in scientific research, contributing to the reliability of the academic literature. It also allows for a more accurate understanding of the research process and encourages a culture of openness and integrity within the scientific community.
Scenario: Do you avoid a full ethics review for a clinical study by manipulating the risk categorisation?
Most Ethical Response: You collaborate with ethics review boards to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the study's risks and benefits
Partially Correct: You accurately assess and categorize the risks associated with the clinical study, seeking an appropriate level of ethics review
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You avoid conducting the clinical study altogether to sidestep the need for ethics review, prioritizing ethical considerations
Summary: Accurately assessing and categorizing the risks associated with the clinical study and seeking an appropriate level of ethics review, is the more ethical response. This ensures the proper scrutiny of research protocols, upholds ethical standards, and contributes to the protection of research participants. Ethical considerations should always guide the research process, and attempts to manipulate risk categorizations for expedience can compromise the integrity of the study.
Scenario: A junior researcher does most of the work on a paper. Do you still take the first authorship?
Most Ethical Response: Acknowledge the junior researcher's significant contribution by giving them first authorship.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: As you are more senior, you take first authorship and give the student second authorship
Universally Incorrect: Take first authorship because of seniority and perceived status in the field.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you opt to teach a literary work that has cultural significance but is also considered offensive by some?
Most Ethical Response: Include the work in the curriculum, providing context for its cultural significance and creating space for critical discussion about the offensive aspects.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: Teach the work without addressing why it might be considered offensive, ignoring the potential for harm.
Summary: nan
Scenario: A mentee's work challenges the validity of your own long-standing research. Do you discourage its publication?
Most Ethical Response: Support the mentee's publication, acknowledging that scientific progress often involves challenging established ideas.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: Alter the mentee's conclusions to align more closely with your own research.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you endorse a new but less-tested treatment protocol over an established one to further your own research?
Most Ethical Response: Recommend the established treatment protocol until the new one is thoroughly tested and proven to be safe and effective.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: Discourage the use of the new protocol despite early promising results because it competes with your research.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you suppress a controversial topic in class to avoid backlash, despite its academic merit?
Most Ethical Response: Address the topic openly, ensuring that all discussions are handled with sensitivity and a strong academic grounding.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Mention the topic briefly but do not discuss
Universally Incorrect: Present the topic in a biased way that aligns with your personal beliefs.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you allocate more resources to projects that are personally interesting?
Most Ethical Response: Distribute resources impartially, based on the merit and potential impact of the projects.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Justify that you are providing more resources to a personal project due to the project being topical/ currently an area of importance
Universally Incorrect: Allocate more resources to less promising projects that align with your personal interests.
Summary: nan
Scenario: A funding source has a controversial reputation. Do you accept the funding?
Most Ethical Response: Carefully evaluate the funding source, its conditions, and potential implications before deciding, consulting with the institution's ethics committee if necessary.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Accept the funding as you believe the value of your work will overshadow the reputation of the funding body
Universally Incorrect: Reject all external funding to avoid any possible controversy, even if it means halting important research.
Summary: nan
Scenario: You're responsible for a team that's using AI tools in research. Do you mandate ethics training regarding the use of such tools?
Most Ethical Response: Yes, you mandate comprehensive ethics training for your team regarding the use of AI tools.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: You push the team to prioritize speed and efficiency over ethical considerations
Universally Incorrect: nan
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you narrow the project scope to ensure you'll get publishable results for a performance review?
Most Ethical Response: You maintain the original project scope and conduct the research with integrity, prioritizing the pursuit of knowledge over short-term performance goals
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: You communicate openly with your supervisor about the challenges you face in meeting performance expectations and explore alternative ways to demonstrate your contributions
Universally Incorrect: You narrow the project scope to ensure publishable results for the performance review, potentially sacrificing the scientific rigor of the study
Summary: nan
Scenario: A less-qualified friend applies for a role in your project. Do you hire them?
Most Ethical Response: You make them go through the standard hiring process.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: You recommend your friend for the role but express concerns about their qualifications to the hiring manager
Universally Incorrect: You hire your friend, but ask them to enhance their skillset before they commence work.
Summary: nan
Scenario: You sit on the grant review committee for a project you've also applied for. What do you do?
Most Ethical Response: You recuse yourself from the committee's discussion and decision-making process for the grant related to your project to avoid conflicts of interest
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: You engage in the committee's discussion but maintain a balanced and impartial perspective, ensuring fairness in the evaluation process
Universally Incorrect: You use your position on the committee to advocate strongly for your own project, potentially influencing the decision unfairly
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you withhold data from a collaborating institution due to concerns about intellectual property?
Most Ethical Response: Share all relevant data, ensuring proper agreements on intellectual property are in place.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Partially share data that isn’t sensitive while negotiations on intellectual property are ongoing
Universally Incorrect: Share data informally without securing intellectual property rights.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you allow students to participate in the research at the cost of a longer project timeline?
Most Ethical Response: Involve students, accepting the longer timeline for the valuable educational experience.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Streamline student involvement by providing proper training to minimize the impact on the timeline.
Universally Incorrect: Allow only top-performing students to participate, excluding others based on academic performance.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you bypass ethical approval for a minor aspect of the project to save time?
Most Ethical Response: Obtain ethical approval for all aspects of the project, regardless of the time it takes.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Consult with the ethics committee to determine if the minor aspect is exempt from formal approval.
Universally Incorrect: Forge documents to pretend ethical approval was obtained.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you include a high-profile researcher in the author list to boost the paper’s visibility, despite minimal contribution?
Most Ethical Response: Only include contributors who have meaningfully participated in the research.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: Acknowledge the high-profile researcher in the acknowledgments section for their minimal input.
Universally Incorrect: Offer authorship in exchange for future favours or positions.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you refuse to share raw data post-publication to avoid scrutiny?
Most Ethical Response: You share the raw data openly and transparently, allowing other researchers to scrutinize, validate, and reproduce your results
Partially Correct: You establish clear data-sharing policies and procedures before publication, providing access to raw data while ensuring the protection of sensitive information and privacy
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You share only a partial or insufficient amount of information about the raw data, making it difficult for others to understand or reproduce the study adequately.
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you use project funds for unrelated research because it's more interesting?
Most Ethical Response: No, you allocate project funds according to the specified purpose, ensuring that they are used exclusively for the research project they were intended for.
Partially Correct: If there is a legitimate need to reallocate funds due to unforeseen circumstances, you engage in open communication with project stakeholders and funding agencies, seeking approval for the changes.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You prioritize your personal interest in unrelated research over the ethical use of project funds designated for a specific purpose
Summary: nan
Scenario: Do you proceed with patenting an invention even though a junior team member disagrees with its ethical implications?
Most Ethical Response: You take the ethical concerns seriously and reevaluate the invention's ethical implications yourself.
Partially Correct: You explore alternative solutions that align with ethical principles, such as modifying the invention or finding ways to use the technology responsibly
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You disregard the concerns, and proceed with the patent
Summary: nan
Scenario: You're conducting a clinical trial. Preliminary results are inconclusive but show some potential. Do you extend the study, risking participant well-being?
Most Ethical Response: You pause the study and submit the inconclusive results for ethical review.
Partially Correct: You reevaluate the study design, considering whether modifications can be made to gather meaningful data without posing undue risks to participants.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You decide to extend the study without undergoing an ethical review or consulting relevant stakeholders
Summary: nan
Scenario: You're asked to remove a contentious author from your syllabus. The author is known for discriminatory views but is also foundational to the field. Do you comply?
Most Ethical Response: You engage in open dialogue with students, faculty, and relevant stakeholders to discuss the contentious views of the author.
Partially Correct: You include readings or materials that present alternative perspectives or counterarguments to balance the inclusion of the contentious author and promote a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You comply with the request to remove the author
Summary: nan
Scenario: Your research partially disproves a widely accepted theory that you publicly supported. Do you publish?
Most Ethical Response: You publish the research, including the partial disproof of the widely accepted theory, as part of your commitment to advancing knowledge and contributing to the scientific discourse.
Partially Correct: nan
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: You choose not to publish the research or selectively present only supportive results to avoid the potential backlash or challenges associated with disproving a widely accepted theory.
Summary: nan
Scenario: You are a project lead with 3 RAs. One of them has a disability due to which they are delayed in submitting their task. This extension means that the time of the other RAs will stall. What do you do?
Most Ethical Response: Accommodate the disability and pace everyone accordingly
Partially Correct: Segregate and distribute the work at different times so that everyone can work at their own pace
Least Ethical Response: nan
Universally Incorrect: Ask the other RAs to help the RA in need
Summary: In summary, the most ethical and inclusive approaches is 3, which involve accommodating the disability and adjusting the project timeline, respectively. These approaches balance the needs of the RA with a disability and the overall project progress while fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. Option 4 may also be viable depending on the project's nature, but it requires effective project management. Option 2, ignoring the situation and imposing consequences, is not recommended as it disregards the individual's needs and equality in the workplace.
Welcome to the Fair Game project website, a hub for exploring academic integrity and ethical dilemmas through interactive and gamified learning. This project, funded by the SATLE (Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement) initiative, has developed a collection of scenarios designed to challenge and engage students, educators, and researchers in navigating real-world ethical challenges. Here, you will find a curated selection of academic integrity dilemmas, ranging from responsible research practices to ethical decision-making in scientific and academic settings. The materials and resources available on this site can be used for training, discussion, and game-based learning, supporting a deeper understanding of ethical principles in academia.
