Public Perceptions of Scientists: Questionable Research Practices January 28, 2016 Ed Krug BioE room 101 876-2404 krugel@musc.edu

An Unwelcome Discovery Lack of integrity leading to findings of research misconduct are increasingly in the news An Unwelcome Discovery “…fabricating more than a decade’s worth of scientific data on obesity, menopause and aging, much of it while conducting clinical research as a tenured faculty member at the University of Vermont.” http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/magazine/22sciencefraud.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 University Suspects Fraud by a Researcher Who Studied Red Wine “A charge of widespread scientific fraud, involving 26 articles published in 11journals, was leveled by…” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/science/fraud-charges-for-dipak-k-das-a-university-of-connecticut-researcher.html

Is unethical behavior in conducting research getting worse or … is there a greater awareness of its impact? http://ori.hhs.gov/images/ddblock/dec_vol21_no1.pdf http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/35543/title/Opinion--Ethics-Training-in-Science/

Actual incidence of research misconduct (FFP) is rather low – about 10-15 findings published per year nationally (out of ~400 investigations) – but occurrence of at least one “questionable” practice is quite high – about 25% of all investigators (includes students, postdocs, and faculty)

Examples of QRP: • Neglecting negative outcomes • Using inappropriate statistics to support one’s hypothesis
 • Inappropriate research design
 • Leaving out relevant controls
 • Inappropriate re-use of controls
 • Removal of ‘outliers’
 • Conscious bias
 • Unethical experimentation
 • Peer review abuse http://www.vib.be/en/news/Pages/Research-misconduct---The-grey-area-of-Questionable-Research-Practices.aspx

Self-admission of questionable research practices by academic psychologists LK John et al. (2012). Psychol. Sci. 23:524-532.

Prevalence of doubting the integrity of research by others LK John et al. (2012). Psychol. Sci. 23:524-532.

The ability to rationalize questionable research practices … do the ends justify the means? “Consistent with the notion that latitude for rationalization is positively associated with engagement in QRPs, our findings showed that respondents who admitted to a QRP tended to think that their actions were defensible.” LK John et al. (2012). Psychol. Sci. 23:524-532.

General Norman Schwarzkopf “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” General Norman Schwarzkopf VS. http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/files/integrity51417692.jpg http://nickshell1983.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/g013009blago1_cst_feed_20090129_16_28_37_1500h400w306.jpeg

Evolution of the AIDS pandemic involved questionable research practices

“And the Band Played On” Main Characters

Make two lists as you watch the video: Actions by individuals that seem wrong or questionable Conflicts between individuals or groups that may have had the greatest impact on facilitating the current AIDS epidemic