Research Integrity: Collaborative Research Michelle Stickler, DEd Office for Research Protections

Reasons to Collaborate Complexity of research Funding opportunities Ease of communications

Potential Challenges Different personalities / styles Different research practices Compliance considerations Intellectual property

Keys to Successful Collaboration from Macrina, F. Scientific Integrity: An Introductory Text with Cases. Second Edition. American Society for Microbiology Press COMMUNICATION! Discuss:  Responsibilities  Publication and authorship  Data and materials  Intellectual property

Keys to Successful Collaboration from Macrina, F. Scientific Integrity: An Introductory Text with Cases. Second Edition. American Society for Microbiology Press COMMUNICATION! Discuss:  Responsibilities  Publication and authorship  Data and materials  Intellectual property

Responsible Authorship What to publish Proper citation Authorship credit and responsibility

What to Publish New and substantial findings or analysis  Avoid salami publication (LPU/MPU)  Avoid duplicate submission & publication Objective and unbiased  Avoid misleading claims  Clearly and openly describe methods  Use statistics appropriately and accurately  Acknowledge limitations

Scenario A researcher reports on his work in a controlled circulation, or “throwaway”, newsletter produced and distributed free by a professional society in the field. He writes a similar report and submits it to a peer-reviewed journal. The report in the newsletter is already being cited in the peer-reviewed literature. The editor of the journal rejects the paper on the grounds that the material has already been published, citing rules and arguments regarding duplicate publication. The author states that the earlier report did not constitute publication, because the throwaway newsletter was not peer-reviewed, not generally available through libraries, and not indexed and abstracted by secondary services. From Ethics and Policy in Scientific Publication (1990), Council of Biology Editors, Inc., Bethesda, MD, p. 70.

Discussion Questions What constitutes prior publication? How do you define “throwaway” publication in your discipline? Does the author have a valid argument? Is duplicate publication ever acceptable?

Proper Citation Adequately and accurately cite literature  Include adequate references to document ideas  Verify that referenced works are consistent with the ideas and information credited to them  Cite original sources  Check the accuracy of citations

Discussion Question Should you acknowledge (and cite) prior “research” published in a “throwaway” publication or white paper?

Keys to Successful Collaboration from Macrina, F. Scientific Integrity: An Introductory Text with Cases. Second Edition. American Society for Microbiology Press COMMUNICATION! Discuss:  Responsibilities  Publication and authorship  Data and materials  Intellectual property

Responsible Data Management Data Selection: experimental design, protocol submission, approval by institutional committee(s) Data Collection: ensuring quality & avoiding bias, adequate recordkeeping Analysis & Selection: statistical analyses, criteria for including & excluding data Data Ownership: responsibility and rights for collection, use, and sharing Data Retention: duration, security, and accessibility Sharing of Data: what to share, when, and with whom

Data Collection How will data be recorded; what conventions? Are all personnel trained to use instruments? Have QA measures been implemented? Has QC process been identified?

Quality Assurance Detailed list of data items to be collected Step-by step instructions for administering instruments, making adjustments to, and calibrating instruments Process for training all research personnel Mechanism for documenting changes in procedures

Quality Control Errors requiring prompt action:  Errors in individual data items  Systematic errors  Violation of protocol  Problems with staff or site performance  Research misconduct

Improper Data Collection: Consequences Inability to answer research questions accurately Inability to repeat or validate the study Distorted findings = wasted resources Misleading to other scholars Compromise decisions for public policy Causing harm to human participants

Scenario Discuss the “Lazy Students” case

Data Handling Be sure to consider:  Who has access to which data  Data handling procedures  Plan for long-term storage & disposal

Scenario Discuss the “Data Gone Astray” case

Data Analysis Come to agreement on:  Missing data points  Outliers  Presenting derived vs. raw data  Reporting significant and insignificant results Train data raters to reduce inconsistencies

Keys to Successful Collaboration from Macrina, F. Scientific Integrity: An Introductory Text with Cases. Second Edition. American Society for Microbiology Press COMMUNICATION! Discuss:  Responsibilities  Publication and authorship  Data and materials  Intellectual property

Data Sharing Factors influencing the decision to share:  Proprietary, economic, or security concerns  Providing all materials needed  Technical obstacles  Confidentiality  Concerns about qualifications of data requesters  Costs associated with sharing

Data Sharing Recommendations:  Pre-publication – open data policy with appropriate caution  Willingness to share data post-publication with other researchers within reason

Communication = Successful Research = Quality Research!