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1 Fostering Responsible Conduct in Science and Engineering Research: ...
Pages 26-49

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From page 26...
... INTRODUCTION Recent disclosures of fraud and other highly questionable behavior in He conduct and reporting of scientific research have prompted scientists, their institutions, and the larger public to reexamine research practices and the present blend of formal and informal mechanisms intended to promote responsible research conduct. The traditional preference of scientists for autonomy over their own affairs as an alternative to increased public control makes it incumbent upon the scientific community to find ways to ensure that individual scientists are competent and perform according to high ethical standards.
From page 27...
... . about the appropriate means for achieving them, and about the kinds of relations which in general should prevail among themselves, and in many cases between themselves and o~ers."3 The scientific disciplines, then, are a prominent normative reference group, whose values and standards of appropriate research practices serve as guides by which individual scientists organize and perform their work and by which outsiders can understand and evaluate their performance.
From page 28...
... As publishers of major scientific journals, the societies are also well positioned to influence research publication practices directly, to serve as an influential forum for the open discussion of key ethical issues, and to educate scientists and engineers regarding acceptable research conduct. Finally, the scientific society performs an important mediating influence between its members and outsiders.
From page 29...
... For all of the above reasons, the scientific and engineering societies deserve recognition and support for their role in fostering responsible research practices by their members. DIE SOCIETIES' SELF-ACKNOWLEDGED ROLE AND APPROACH TO PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH CONDUCT As organized, self-governing units, the scientific and engineering societies have publicly acknowledged a role for themselves in promoting ethical practices by their members, as evidenced by the wide range of society policies and activities related to research ethics described in the next section.
From page 30...
... PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY STANDARDS OF RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH CONDUCT The adoption of ethical standards is a visible and explicit pronouncement of professional norms, which are central to understanding what constitutes proper professional conduct as well as the expectations about the kinds of character professionals should possess. Such standards embody the collective conscience of a profession and are testimony to the group's recognition of its ethical responsibilities.
From page 31...
... · Third, standards that reflect widely held professional norms contribute to the socialization of new professionals into the distinct practices and traditions of the profession, thereby securing their support of them at an early stage in their careers. · Fourth, standards can promote responsible research conduct by making it an affirmative duty for scientists and engineers to report errant colleagues, thereby creating a monitoring system in which each professional assumes a responsibility for upholding the group's integrity.
From page 32...
... The purpose of these provisions on authorship seems to be twofold: to establish ways of properly allocating publication credit and for holding scientists accountable for the content and methods of their work. As such, they seek to reinforce the ethical principle of fairness, minimize inflated achievement claims, and increase the possibility of tracing questionable research practices to their origins.
From page 33...
... The AHA stresses the importance of good work habits as a shield against plagiarism; observing the basic rules of good notetaking and good writing will help scholars avoid the sloppy work that makes it difficult to guard against plagiarism. Data Management Paralleling the mounting concern in the scientific community with issues related to data retention, access, and sharing, several scientific societies have adopted explicit policies or guidelines governing such matters as what data ought to be accessible to whom, the timing of such release, and the factors that might affect sharing (e.g., confidentiality pledges)
From page 34...
... . develop educational and training activities and materials to improve the integrity of research" and that academic institutions "monitor the supervisory and training practices of their faculty and research staff to ensure that adequate oversight is provided for young scientists." Also, effective July 1, 1990, all research training grant applications to the National Institutes of Health and He Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration must include a description of the types of instructional activities on the responsible conduct of research that will be incorporated into the proposed research training program.
From page 35...
... Two of the societies (ASM, International Epidemiological Association [lEAl) declare that researchers should serve as exemplary role models for their trainees, to demonstrate by example their commitment to the highest possible ethical standards.
From page 36...
... . Other provisions discourage arrangements involving confidential information that may not be shared with colleagues; prescribe policies that ensure that students and trainees are not exploited in the service of sponsored research; and address compensation arrangements in support of clinical studies, cautioning that payment not be linked solely to the enrollment of research subjects or contingent upon a specified outcome (AAHC)
From page 37...
... establishes a ten-year time frame for publication, after which the researcher waives his or her right of primacy with respect to publication. While the societies view the reporting of research results as an integral part of the research process and a professional responsibility of scientists, at least in some cases they are prepared to accept constraints on the discharging of that responsibility.
From page 38...
... The provisions referred to above are an attempt by the scientific and engineering societies to balance the traditional patterns of free exchange in science with promises to withhold certain information from public view. There is an assumption at work here that finds confidentiality agreements essential for some types of research to proceed.
From page 39...
... They are acknowledging that dishonest work ultimately damages all of science and that it is in the enlightened self-interest, indeed an affirmative duty, of individual scientists as well as the community of scientists to voice their disapproval of scientific misconduct and to pursue such allegations conscientiously.
From page 40...
... Six of the societies examined for this study included such rules and procedures as a companion document to their standards, while others have incorporated them into their bylaws. Some societies have taken steps to elaborate on their basic principles of research conduct as a means of helping members to interpret their application in specific situations.
From page 41...
... indicated that it was currently planning to develop educational materials dealing with science and responsibility. Recognition One way to foster attention to the value that the research community apaches to responsible research conduct is to bestow public recognition on those scientists and engineers who exemplify mode!
From page 42...
... Rather, the AAAS uses the National Science Foundation's definition of scientific misconduct, and its procedures apply only to AAAS staff and their collaborators engaged in research or publication ventures. A second approach is for societies to adopt enforcement procedures applicable to publication practices or the submission of abstracts for meetings and to implement them through journal editors' or publication or program committees.
From page 43...
... Seven societies assign specially constituted standing committees with responsibility for implementing their enforcement procedures, and the range of sanctions that may be applied include the following: private or public reprimand, censure, probation, suspension, denial of recertification, stipulated resignation, imposed rehabilitation or educational training, required supervision, and expulsion from me society. Three societies (ASA, AHA, APSA)
From page 44...
... But the adoption of such ethical standards does not guarantee their usefulness when caught in the cross-pressures of contemporary research. Such standards should be viewed as only one part, albeit an important one, of a larger system intended to promote responsible research conduct.
From page 45...
... For outsiders, the system must assure them that the society is prepared to acknowledge the possibility of scientific misconduct, to investigate allegations thoroughly, to hold researchers accountable, and to protect the public from the adverse consequences of improper research conduct. The ethical standards adopted by the societies not only define the boundaries of responsible research conduct; they also embody the virtues that researchers are expected to possess.
From page 46...
... Finally, in considering how the scientific and engineering societies can more effectively promote responsible research conduct, one must keep in mind Hat such efforts incur costs in the form of time, energy, and resources committed to developing ethical standards, disseminating information, educating, registering disapproval, and conferring recognition. Consequently, the societies must be sensitive to what they can reasonably undertake at any particular point in time.
From page 47...
... American Political Science Association (APSA) American Psychological Association (APA)
From page 48...
... , June 1990 Publication Manual, Third Edition, May 1986 Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals Guidelines for the Use of Drugs in Research by Psychologists Ethical Issues in Psychological Research on AIDS American Society for Microbiology Code of Ethics, 1987; amended 1988 Instructions to Authors for All ASM Journals, 1990 American Sociological Association Code of Ethics, August 1989 Association of Academic Health Centers Conflicts of Interest in Academic Health Centers, 1990
From page 49...
... , 1990 Society for Epidemiologic Research Statement on Ethical Issues involving Conflicts of Interest for Epidemiologic Investigators (Draft) , May 1989 Society for Neuroscience Policy on Scientific Misconduct, 1989 Society of Professional Archaeologists Code of Ethics Standards of Research Performance, 1976


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