The Francesca Gino scandal shook the academic world, exposing fraudulent research practices at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, Harvard Business School. This episode unpacks the details of the case, from the initial discoveries to the implications for science.
You’ll learn:
How a PhD student uncovered data manipulation in a high-profile study (feat. Zoe Xani’s investigation).
The critical role of whistleblowers in exposing fraud (feat. Data Colada’s analysis).
Key findings from Harvard’s 1,300-page report on research misconduct.
Which studies were faked and what they claimed to find.
How self-correcting mechanisms can strengthen trust despite scandals.
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Sources:
Data Colada. (2023). [109] Data falsificada (Part 1): “Clusterfake”. https://datacolada.org/109
Data Colada. (2023). Data falsificada (Part 1): Evidence that Francesca Gino fabricated data. Data Colada. Retrieved from https://datacolada.org/110
Data Colada. (2023). Data falsificada (Part 3): The cheaters are out of order. Data Colada. Retrieved from https://datacolada.org/111
Data Colada. (2023). Data falsificada (Part 4): Forgetting the words. Data Colada. Retrieved from https://datacolada.org/112
Data Colada. (2024). [116] Our (first?) day in court. https://datacolada.org/116
Data Colada. (2024). [118] Harvard’s Gino Report Reveals How A Dataset Was Altered, Data Colada. https://datacolada.org/118
Dalton, R. (2023, October 18). Embattled Harvard honesty professor accused of plagiarism. Science. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from https://www.science.org/content/article/embattled-harvard-honesty-professor-accused-plagiarism
Dubner, S. J. (2024). Why is there so much fraud in academia? (Update) [Audio podcast episode]. In Freakonomics Radio. Freakonomics, LLC. https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-is-there-so-much-fraud-in-academia-update/
Dubner, S. J. (2025). Can academic fraud be stopped? (Update) [Audio podcast episode]. In Freakonomics
Radio. Freakonomics, LLC. https://freakonomics.com/podcast/can-academic-fraud-be-stopped-update/
Gino, F., Kouchaki, M., & Galinsky, A. D. (2015). The moral virtue of authenticity: How inauthenticity produces feelings of immorality and impurity. Psychological Science, 26(7), 983–996. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615575277
Gino, F., & Wiltermuth, S. S. (2014). Evil genius? How dishonesty can lead to greater creativity. Psychological Science, 25(4), 973–981. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614520714
Gino, F., Kouchaki, M., & Casciaro, T. (2020). Why connect? Moral consequences of networking with a promotion or prevention focus. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspa0000226
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Judo, P. (2024). It’s over – Gino vs Harvard fake data scandal [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Q9tgyVPytBk
Konnikova, M. (2023). They studied dishonesty. Was their work a lie? The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/09/they-studied-dishonesty-was-their-work-a-lie
Lewis-Karus. (2024). How a scientific dispute spiraled into a defamation lawsuit. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-a-scientific-dispute-spiralled-into-a-defamation-lawsuit
Shu, L. L., Mazar, N., Gino, F., Ariely, D., & Bazerman, M. H. (2012). Signing at the beginning makes ethics salient and decreases dishonest self-reports in comparison to signing at the end. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(38), 15197–15200. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1209746109