Academic researchers operate within a unique economy where the goal is to seek and teach the truth about our universe, not to generate profit; indeed, ideas (not money) are the currency of exchange. As such, corruption in this context can be thought of as anything that prevents researchers from discovering the truth or anything that takes away from the public's opinion of the veracity of research findings. Alek Chakroff and Brandi Newell are collaborating to investigate the subtle and often unintentional cognitive biases that can lead researchers away from the truth and, more specifically, towards confirming their own ideas or "pet theories." The aims of the current research project are (i) to establish the public's opinion of academics' trustworthiness, (ii) to empirically demonstrate that corruption exists within academia, and (iii) to make suggestions for ways to address the unveiled corruption.
Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/humantraffic/62045568/