What to do if I suspect that my supervisor falsify data?
I would like to ask for advice for what are the most appropriate actions to take if one suspects that the supervisor is falsifying data. My suspicion arise when some figures I send to my my supervisor does not look the same as in the supervisor's figure files. In one figure "the low responding" values in the treatment group are gone, error bars altered and some outlines gone and the control group. In another figure the control values are identical to those I sent but the treatment group are altered showing a difference to the control group (which my experiments and my graph does not do).
Of note the same supervisor has on several occasions been reported to HR for bullying behavior, including bullying against supervisor's own group members.
What would you advice me to do, and what would be expected of me to do since I know and are aware of this?
Many thanks in advance!
Hey Miss UCA
This sounds awful. Make sure you only write up your own data and after you've finished your PhD get away from this person asap. If you have a second supervisor then contact this one where possible instead (but try not to arouse suspicion and beware in case they are doing it also).
This sounds awful. Make sure you only write up your own data and after you've finished your PhD get away from this person asap. If you have a second supervisor then contact this one where possible instead (but try not to arouse suspicion and beware in case they are doing it also).
The problem is that she will probably want to publish some papers based on the research, which necessarily will have to be done in collaboration with the supervisor. The supervisor is probably manipulating the results for the purpose of getting them published, and if MissUCA goes along with it, she becomes complicit in fraud. If that blows up, her academic career is over.
So either she goes along and publishes the data the way her supervisor faked them, or she has to confront him.
Good point. Are you in an earlier enough stage to change supervisor?
See this thread for something similar:
Hi MissUCA, can you discuss your concerns with your second supervisor or someone from your panel or advisory team? This could be an informal conversation initially, but they may be able to provide useful advice as to what you can do or what the next step would be.
I would like to ask for advice for what are the most appropriate actions to take if one suspects that the supervisor is falsifying data. My suspicion arise when some figures I send to my my supervisor does not look the same as in the supervisor's figure files. In one figure "the low responding" values in the treatment group are gone, error bars altered and some outlines gone and the control group. In another figure the control values are identical to those I sent but the treatment group are altered showing a difference to the control group (which my experiments and my graph does not do).
Of note the same supervisor has on several occasions been reported to HR for bullying behavior, including bullying against supervisor's own group members.
What would you advice me to do, and what would be expected of me to do since I know and are aware of this?
Many thanks in advance!
You need to talk to your supervisor and ask him to explain his reasoning behind the things you don't like. Don't give him your opinion yet. Just ask him to clarify. Then try to reason with him if he is deliberately attempting fraud. If you can't get anywhere there you have, in my opinion, nowhere else to turn but the head of department for advice.
Many thanks for all the advice and input! I have just finished 3 years of the PhD and ideally would like focus on the thesis writing and next step instead of the issues my supervisor is causing. I do not have an official second supervisor, but there is another supervisor at my department that has offered to read through my thesis chapters (I will include my version of the graphs instead of my supervisor's modified ones). My supervisor has bullied me as well and the communication between the me and him has been poor lately (including status of the publication where the suspected figures are included.) I guess my only option is to go to the head of department for this.
Good luck MissUCA. Let us know how it goes. Make sure you protect yourself. Presumably it is clear from the records that you have the original, non-distorted data? They'll be able to check dates on electronic files etc and trace everything.
