Draft version 1.7 beta — Revised October 27, 2026
← Return to the table in Chapter 4, § 5
False or misleading statements
A topic page linked from Chapter 4, § 5, Examples of Reported Violations of Enforceable Ethics Codes.
Definition
The meaning of this entry in the table of ethical issues is self-evident. When an educated, professional or academic, licensed or certified or credentialed geoscientist speaks or writes about geoscience, members of the public presume that their words convey reliable information about the world. A geoscientist who knowingly communicates false information about the world does real damage. They not only stain their own reputation and credibility, but they diminish the rest of us geoscientists in the eyes of the public. Recall the words of C.P. Snow, quoted in Chapter 3 of this Primer: 1
The only ethical principle which has made science possible is that the truth shall be told all the time. If we do not penalize false statements made in error, we open up the way, don't you see, for false statements by intention. And of course, a false statement of fact, made deliberately, is the most serious crime a scientist can commit.
As a geoscientist, you should commit fully to your role as a truth-seeker and truth-teller. It is no accident that the first item in the AGI Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct is "Be honest."2 It would be difficult to imagine a scenario in which deliberately making a false or misleading geoscience statement would be considered justified by the rest of the geoscience community or by the public we serve. Doing so would violate common morality, the ethics of science, the ethics of geoscience, and perhaps even civil law depending on the exact circumstances. It violates a public trust, that science can provide reliable information about the world.
Relevant provisions in geoethics codes
AAPG – § 2a-b; AEG – § Preface, 1, 2; AGI – § 2.6; AGU – § IIIB1, IIIB10, IIIB15; AIPG – § 2.2.1-3; ASBOG – § 16-4a-c, 16-7f; CAL – § c5, c9-10, f1-2; GSA – § 3.1e.
Code Abbreviations
- AAPG — American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Code of Ethics (2024), Link to current document
- AEG — Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists, AEG Code of Conduct (2018), Link to current document
- AGI — American Geosciences Institute, AGI Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct (2015), Link to current document
- AGU — American Geophysical Union, AGU Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics (2023), Link to current document
- AIPG — American Institute of Professional Geologists, AIPG Code of Ethics (2019), Link to current document
- ASBOG — Association of State Boards of Geology, Model Rules and Regulations, Section 16, Code of Ethics (2019), Link to current document; see pages 27 to 29.
- Cal — Regulations Relating to the Practices of Geology and Geophysics, California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 29, Section 3065, Professional Standards and Code of Professional Conduct – Professional Geology and Professional Geophysics (2026), Link to current document; see pages 30 to 33.
- GSA — Geological Society of America, GSA Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct (2023), Link to current document
Notes and References
1 Snow, C.P., 1934 (revised 1958), The Search [revised edition]: New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 343 p.; quote on p. 273.
2 American Geosciences Institute, 2015, AGI Guidelines for Ethical Professional Conduct: accessed October 27, 2026 via www.americangeosciences.org/community/ethical-professional-conduct/
Also, refer to Chapter 3 of this Primer and the many relevant publications cited therein.