> Sadly you seem to underestimate how widespread fraud is in academia
Anyway, I think "wishful thinking" is way more rampant and problematic than fraud. I.e. work done in a way that does not explore the weakness of it fully.
People shouldn't be trying to publish before they know how to properly define a study and analyze the results. Publications also shouldn't be willing to publish work that does a poor job at following the fundamentals of the scientific method.
Wishful thinking and assuming good intent isn't a bad idea here, but that leaves us with a scientific (or academic) industry that is completely inept at doing what it is meant to do - science.
Anyway, I think "wishful thinking" is way more rampant and problematic than fraud. I.e. work done in a way that does not explore the weakness of it fully.