Engineering Research: Potential for Fraud

Abstract

Engineering research has a major impact on human welfare; additionally, public expenditures for this research are significant. These represent important reasons for examining the potential for fraud in engineering research. The potential for fraud exists in all phases of the research process from the proposal‐writing phase to the reporting of research results. Examples of potentially fraudulent activity in engineering research are analyzed for the purpose of creating a dialogue on the subject and hopefully identify and institute measures that will at least minimize the potential for such fraud.