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On Being a Scientist A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Responding to Suspected Violations of Professional Standards
Pages 19-23

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 19...
... The scientific community, society, and the personal integrity of individuals all emerge stronger from efforts to uphold the fundamental values on which science is based. All research institutions that receive federal funds must have policies and procedures in place to investigate and report research misconduct, and anyone who is aware of a potential act of misconduct must follow these policies and procedures.
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From page 20...
... But the methods used by individual scientists and research institutions to address questionable research practices should be distinct from those for handling misconduct in science. In addition, different scientific fields may approach the task of defining QRPs in varying ways.
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From page 21...
... At Science, an editorial retraction was published: "Because the final report of the SNU investigation indicated that a significant amount of the data presented in both papers is fabricated, the editors of Science feel that an immediate and unconditional retraction of both papers is needed. We therefore retract these two papers and advise the scientific community that the results reported in them are deemed to be invalid." From the point of view of scientists working in the field of stem cell biology, it was an enormous setback.
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From page 22...
... Major federal agencies have instituted policies requiring that research institutions designate an official, usually called the research integrity officer, who is available to discuss situations involving suspected misconduct. Some institutions have several such designated officials so that complainants can go to a person with whom they feel comfortable.
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From page 23...
... Institutional policies generally divide investigations of suspected misconduct into an initial inquiry to gather information and a formal investigation to reach conclusions and decide on responses. These procedures are designed to take into account fairness for the accused, protection for the accuser, and coordination with funding agencies.
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  • report concerns
  • instituted policies
  • suspected misconduct

  • define misconduct
  • colleague engaging
  • sional standards
  • editorial retraction
  • institutions designate

  • reach conclusions
  • usually called
  • scientific standards
  • snu investigation
  • major federal

  • previous section
  • receive federal
  • serious consequences
  • qualified peers
  • institutional policies


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