The Ideology of Academic Scientists

Abstract

The moral values associated with scientific research were studied by means of interviews with 57 academic researchers of faculty status. The areas examined were freedom in research, impartiality, suspension of judgment until sufficient evidence is at hand, absence of bias, diffusion of information, and group loyalty. Two dimensions of creativity were measured in the respondents: rate of publication and strength of motivation toward research as judged by peers. Neither of these measures was significantly related to acceptance of the classical position in any of the six areas of value. It is concluded that the classical morality of science is not associated to any important degree with productive research.