Fresno State develops survey fraud policy

By Zack Walton

In light of the controversy spawned by the potentially fraudulent survey conducted at Stanislaus State on the Scott Peterson trial, Fresno State interim Provost Dr. Jeronima Echeverria has released a statement regarding survey fraud procedure.

The statement outlines the campus policy that Fresno State would use to deal with a similar situation.

In the occurrence of a questionable survey, the university would determine whether there was scientific misconduct through the falsification of data, scientific misconduct and whether the professor was aware it was going on, the statement said.

If a faculty member conducting a survey was found guilty of falsifying data, the statement said sanctions could be as severe as dismissal.

In Echeverria’s statement, she said the approaches Fresno State has instituted have been put in place to avoid the sort of situation that arose at CSU Stanislaus.

The first step you must take before conducting a public survey through the university is to receive permission from the university, said Ed Nelson, Fresno State sociology professor and director of the Social Research Lab.

The change-of-venue survey was compiled for the Peterson trial by Stephen Schoenthaler, a criminology professor at CSU Stanislaus in late November and early December.

Schoenthaler confirmed to the Modesto Bee in a Jan. 10 article that he did not alert university officials in advance that students would be conducting the survey—which is required by federal mandate.

Students of Schoenthaler, who were required to submit survey results for 20 percent of their grade, conducted the survey that claimed to have 1,175 respondents throughout 10 California counties.

Nine students admitted to falsifying parts of or all of the results of the survey.

According to the Bee article, some students said they made up answers because they were short on time and money—having to make dozens of long distance phone calls without being reimbursed for the calls.
Dr. Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Fresno State, said the techniques used in the Stanislaus State survey were not performed in a proper environment, where students could be observes and advised.

“ Most teachers doing serious surveys use a central setting,” Michelson said.

Nelson directs the laboratory where many surveys for Fresno State are conducted.

The lab has Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) software, which allows surveyors to conduct interviews at any of the seven stations.

“ All of the interviewers we hire are trained and supervised for the surveys,” Nelson said. “We do hire students to conduct interviews, but they are always paid.”

Nelson also said that during surveys, a certain percentage, around 10 percent, are always called back to ensure the interviews were done correctly.

Schoenthaler said in the Jan. 10 article his students were required to incorporate phone numbers with their results, but that he had not called any of them to verify.

Superior Court Judge Al Girolami cited the survey in his decision to move the Peterson trial from Modesto to San Mateo County.