Scientific Misconduct

The Conduct of Scientific Research

Science is the search for the truth. Scientists test hypotheses with data in order to contribute to a body of knowledge upon which other researchers can build. In the case of research on human diseases, having an accurate, empirical base upon which to build is extremely important in the search for cures. For most scientific researchers, the importance of honesty is taken for granted. From the time they begin their training in research, scientists learn how to perform competent, honest work. Although training in research varies from discipline to discipline and institution to institution, there is universal agreement that honesty and objectivity form the cornerstone of science.

Scientists working in academic settings may have some incentive to depart from these norms of honesty. Those who expect to earn permanent positions in their universities must win research grants and publish papers. This creates what has been referred to as “publish or perish” pressure. Some argue that too much emphasis in [Page 1449]academic science has been placed on this type of productivity at the expense of truly meaningful work. For some, such pressure may be enough to make them consider cutting ethical corners in order to save their jobs.

Defining Scientific Misconduct

There is no standard definition of scientific misconduct. What is defined as scientific misconduct depends on what authority is investigating the matter. For example, if the misconduct involves a Public Health Service (PHS) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, PHS rules and regulations governing misconduct would apply. If a university or institution is inquiring into misconduct, the university's or institution's policies and procedures on scientific misconduct would apply; these are usually very similar to the federal regulations. If the misconduct is investigated for possible criminal sanctions, the governing state's statutory regulations would apply. The misconduct would more than likely be prosecuted as fraud under the state's criminal statute.

In general, scientific misconduct has come to be defined as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other forms of conduct that seriously deviate from accepted scientific practice. Fabrication occurs when a researcher makes up data. For example, a scientist may not have the time to run an experiment, so he makes up data and presents his findings as if the experiment had been run. Falsification, on the other hand, involves the modification or selective reporting of data. This type of misconduct typically occurs when a scientist conducts an experiment but is dissatisfied with the results, so she changes the data to support her hypotheses. Plagiarism is the misappropriation of another's ideas or written material. Here a scientist copies verbatim the work of another and passes it off as his own. Other related forms of misconduct include the falsification of credentials, the failure to secure informed consent from research subjects, and conflicts of interest between the scientist's research sponsor and her own personal financial interests. Whereas lying about credentials and conflicts of interest exist in business, government, and other realms and therefore are not particular to the world of scientific research, scientific misconduct consists of those acts performed by an individual in his or her role as scientist.

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