Public deception as ideological and institutional critique: On the limits and possibilities of academic hoaxing

Abstract

Background Through an exploration of two influential academic hoaxes, the Sokal Affair and the “Grievance Studies” hoax, this article explores the constraints and possibilities of academic hoaxing in the articulation of institutional critique through a discussion of academic integrity and ethical forms of deception. Analysis In this article, hoaxes are cast as operating on a continuum with other covert forms of deception in academic publishing (fraud, data fabrication, misconduct). Far from producing constructive outcomes, these interventions serve as flashpoints for stirring up discipline-based anxieties and ideologically motivated attacks. Conclusion and implications These forms of public deception can illuminate how to reform or re-envision areas of academia that are compromising the health and vitality of academic research.