“Stop me before I fake again”

A sociologist at the University of Maryland demonstrates, briefly, how absurdly easy it is to falsify social science data, or to make it up out of thin air — whatever one’s motives might be, whether ideological or for personal advancement and glory:

https://familyinequality.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/stop-me-before-i-fake-again/

The late John Boswell, a prolific historian who died, far too young, of complications from AIDS back on Christmas Eve in 1994, offers a cautionary example.  His attempts to legitimate same-sex “marriage” on the basis of alleged ancient and medieval precedents in Christian liturgy rested on data that he probably didn’t falsify, but which he repeatedly misrepresented.  His ideological and personal zeal grossly distorted his conclusions:

http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9411/articles/darling.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20060507014622/http://www.learnedhand.com/shaw_boswell.htm

All scholars, of course, should be very careful with their data and in drawing their conclusions, and, I think, should be upfront about their loyalties and commitments.  Particularly on controversial matters.  These days, though, I believe that there are certain orthodox pieties that simply must be observed — among them, support for gay “marriage” — the furtherance of which may advance one’s career, and opposition to which may very well destroy it.

Posted from Göttingen. Germany