[gmat]

Little background: I've been tempted with the scientific / research path, i had the opportunity to join national research centers. But the pay was a misery... still some friends went that way (they had 'The Faith' if you get what i mean). I've taken the 'industry' path.
I've been working for some high profile private sector research labs, and i know for having been there that the research is no less serious or scientifically sound than in the 'public / official' sector. Actually the motivations may be different, scientists in the industry work to enhance the products / knowledge of their own company instead of enhancing the knowledge of general public. This does not make them different in their scientific integrity in my opinion, because if they fudge their results it will be soon uncovered by failing products or a financial crash (which is a kind of 'hardcore' peer review)
The difference *may* reside in public perception of their research work. In the industry most research is kept secret, and tech / scientists are not the ones who communicate, this is the task of the marketing dept. So public perception of private sector research is (generally) distorted by that filter. This makes the perception of private sector scientific integrity distorted as well.
This is only a general statement. Some companies make their research papers public, but do they submit them to the peer review process ?
All i can say is as long as there is peer review, the frauds will be rejected by the system, just like Pr Hwang Woo-suk.