Hi, He are my two cents:
If you check out New York Times on Oct 28, there is a news about a professor in MIT got fired because of misconduct in scientific research. or go to http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/10/28/mit_profe ssor_is_fired_over_fabricated_data/ Another thing that I want to point out is that some professors only want to see good results and that makes students fabricate or falsify research results only in order to get him/her pleased. I have heard student friends complain that previous students made fake results and graduated and became faculty elsewhere, then a new student came along, and he/she had to reproduce the previous "good' results to continue the research. While he couldn't repeat the results and the professor would think he is stupid, and he wasted a lot of time. So it's quite hard for the new student to continue, should he also falsify and make "good" results? The answer is NO, but I think professors should also listen to students on producing results. If he/she couldn't repeat results well enough and you know that he/she is not lazy and stupid, you probably have to take a second thought and accept the fact and find out what's going on. This is especially important for Famous professors who only think that his/her previous students did great job,,,,and blame the new students being stupid and lazy. Wen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wendee Holtcamp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2005 3:04 PM Subject: questionable research practices > I want to get a dialogue going about scientific misconduct vs = > "questionable research practices" and your opinions as scientists on = > these issues - and whistleblowing comes into this. In this era where it = > seems the government and policymakers routinely ignore science, how does = > one know what science to trust? If you're a whisteblower and you got = > fired from a private industry (where there is little protection) about a = > scientific integrity issue, email me offlist for an article I'm working = > on. > > Is there any kind of consensus in the general academic and scientific = > community about ethics in scientific research, such as official = > statements by major science organizations like AAAS, AIBS, NAS, or even = > ESA. I've done some searching and what I've found is very scattered.=20 > > If you're a professor - when you are hired do you ever get told or = > taught about the standards of ethics and integrity in research of your = > institution?=20 > > So the question becomes - if the organization the scientists work for = > turn the other cheek but there is public money involved, who holds them = > accountable? The media? Other scientists?=20 > > I have been doing some searching and there is apparently a difference = > between scientific misconduct/fraud and "questionable research = > practices".=20 > > According to a 1992 letter by the National Academy of Sciences at = > http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/POD500?OpenDocument = > misconduct includes "fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in = > proposing, performing, or reporting research" while questionable = > research practices are actions "that violate traditional values" of = > scientific research but fall short of misconduct. They may, for example, = > include failing to retain significant research data for a reasonable = > period; using inappropriate statistical methods of measurement; = > presenting speculations as fact; or bypassing peer review before = > presenting results, especially in public forums. > > I ask all of you as scientists out there - what do YOU consider = > scientific misconduct and what do you consider "questionable"? If you = > know that (1) your being funded by public dollars and (2) your results = > have policy implications that will affect millions of people - and yet = > you still use weak statistical analysis that you were advised against - = > is this misconduct or would this be accepted by peers? =20 > > At one point do you go to the public? Does it affect a lawsuit if you go = > public?=20 > > I am interested in anyone and everyone's thoughts on these issues.=20 > > This is for a couple of things - one an article I'm writing where a = > couple of "questionable research practices" have come up - further = > investigation may show them to be actual misconduct but the case for the = > practices being questionable research is strong.=20 > > Wendee > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Wendee Holtcamp, M.S. ~ LOGOS Communications=20 > Freelance Writer-Photographer ~~ http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com > Bohemian Adventures Blog ~~ http://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com > 281-798-8417 ~ ~ [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Better to light a candle than curse the darkness - Chinese proverb
