A Harvard University investigation into the conduct of behavioral scientist Francesca Gino has unveiled findings of research misconduct, recommending her termination, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The investigation, detailed in a voluminous court filing made public this week, sheds light on accusations of manipulated data in Gino's work, sparking a legal battle and garnering widespread attention.
The probe, led by three Harvard Business School professors, delved into allegations against Gino, renowned for her studies on human behavior related to honesty and deceit.
The investigative report, spanning nearly 1,300 pages, outlines instances of research misconduct across four papers examined by the committee. It recommends an audit of Gino's other experimental work, retractions of three papers (one had already been retracted), and termination of her employment.
"The severity of the research misconduct... calls for appropriately severe institutional action," the report said, advocating for decisive measures against Gino's alleged transgressions.
The committee did not uphold Gino's defense against the allegations, including claims of potential honest errors and external data tampering. Despite her assertions of innocence, the report highlights discrepancies in her explanations and rejects the possibility of malicious tampering with the data.
The investigation was triggered in October 2021 after complaints from behavioral scientists at Data Colada, who analyzed Gino's papers and raised concerns about falsified data. Subsequent inquiries, including forensic analyses and witness interviews, reinforced suspicions of misconduct.
Following the investigation's conclusion, Harvard's decision to place Gino on administrative leave in June 2023 marked a significant development. The subsequent retraction of papers highlighted by the committee underscored the gravity of the findings.
Amid the legal proceedings, Gino has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting her commitment to research integrity. Her lawsuit against Harvard, alleging flaws and bias in the investigation, has galvanized support from fellow researchers and attracted substantial financial backing for the Data Colada bloggers.
"The silver lining is that people can see for themselves that this investigation was a charade," Andrew Miltenberg, Gino's attorney, said in an Email. "Harvard found no evidence that Prof. Gino modified data, not a single co-author or research assistant interviewed believed she did it, and their own forensics firm did not claim they proved Prof. Gino's guilt."
"I do take integrity seriously," Gino wrote in a submission to the committee dated Nov. 11, 2022, included in the report. "I have not manipulated nor fabricated data, and I've not written papers that intend to mislead readers with the way studies are described."
As the case unfolds, Harvard and Data Colada are poised to present arguments to dismiss Gino's claims in an upcoming hearing scheduled for April 26.