What are the best practices? (Has Best Practice)
From The Embassy of Good Science
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For department leaders: ask your coworkers to read the executive summary, and organize a meeting to talk about it and what role the department and the individuals in that department could play to address the issue. +
Leiden university also made a MOOC with this movie: https://www.coursera.org/learn/scientist. Read more on the university website https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2018/01/mooc-on-the-dilemmas-of-science
This movie is also included in the collection of fiction movies for RCR education (NRIN). See www.nrin.nl/ri-collection/library/videos/on-being-a-scientist-movie-2016/ +
The Manchester University's Code of Practice for Investigating Concerns about the Conduct of Research +
- Identifying what constitutes Research Misconduct
- Initial Screening
- Investigative procedures and possible outcomes
-Maintaining fairness, confidentiality and integrity +
Six principles: Honesty and scrupulousness, Reliability, Verifiability, Impartiality, Independence and Responsibility +
The Rise of Octopus Affiliation: Navigating Multiple Institutional Associations in Academic Publishing +
Some relevant practices that address the issues in academic publishing include efforts to reduce the dominance of large commercial publishing houses. For example, initiatives to shift the publishing model away from commercial monopolies and towards non-commercial or publicly funded options are becoming more common. These practices aim to help board members contribute to academic publishing without relying on intermediary consultant companies that prioritize commercial interests. Another key practice is fostering academic enthusiasm and collaboration among board members and reviewers, which encourages a shift away from preferences for commercial journals. Additionally, projects that promote academic cooperation and non-profit publishing, such as public or association-led initiatives, have gained traction <span lang="HR">(4)</span>. Furthermore, Yumru <span lang="HR">(2)</span> recommends that international organizations like COPE and ICMJE adress concerns about unethical authorship practices, such as octopus affiliation, and develop guidelines that will encourage transparent and ethical reporting of author affiliations.
== '''References:''' ==
<span lang="HR"> 1. Moustafa K. Octopus affiliations. Scientometrics. 2020 Sep;124(3):2733–5.</span>
<span lang="HR">2. Yumru M. The new face of commercial academia: Octopus affiliation. J Clin Psychiatry. 2024;27(2):99–100.</span>
<span lang="HR">3. Hottenrott H, Lawson C. A first look at multiple institutional affiliations: a study of authors in Germany, Japan and the UK. Scientometrics. 2017 Apr;111(1):285–95.</span>
<span lang="HR">4. The background of publishing: Is ethics possible? J Clin Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020; Available from: '"`UNIQ--nowiki-000000EB-QINU`"'</span> +
- Integrity
- Openness
- Legal requirements
- Supervision and training
- Maintaining data records
- Publication practices
- Ethical principles in human and animal research +
The Swiss National Science Foundation and National Research Council's Regulations on scientific misconduct +
- Responsibilities regarding misconduct proceedings and appeals +
Although adequeate checks and balances seem to have not been in place at the time when the experiment was being conducted, Dr. Green should have informed his patients about the unorthodox method he was using. +
- Standards of Professionalism and trust
- Equality
- Academic freedom
- Teamwork and mutual respect
- Social responsibility
- Integrity and loyalty
- Response to misconduct allegations +
- Honesty
- Respecting the dignity of human subjects
- Non-maleficence
- Proportionality
- Social responsibility
- Respect for the environment +
- Abiding by the Law of Academic Freedom
- Honesty in scientific work
- Following ethical guidelines of specific area of research
- Acknowledging colleagues and sources
- Ensuring good collaboration
- Being accountable for resources
- Ensure validity of results
- Adhering to publication norms
- Unbiased reporting of results
- Maintaining and improving scientific competence +
- Impartiality
-Students' and Supervisors' Obligations +
Worldwide, governmentally regulated limitations for maintaining embryos in cryostorage vary from 24 months to an infinite duration'"`UNIQ--ref-000001A2-QINU`"'. Although consensus regarding the ethics of thawing and discarding does not exist, in the absence of explicit, contemporaneous consent, approaches to the issue of unclaimed embryos have been proposed by other advisory bodies. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Task Force on Ethics and Law has advocated standard time limits that can be renewed a limited number of times on a couple’s demand'"`UNIQ--ref-000001A3-QINU`"', while the ASRM committee concluded that a clinic can consider embryos abandoned and discard them if 5 years has passed since the last contact with the couple and if significant efforts have been made to contact that couple'"`UNIQ--ref-000001A4-QINU`"'. Spanish regulations mandate that embryos should only be used for reproductive purposes, which makes embryo donation the only legal solution when couples do not want the embryos for their own transfer'"`UNIQ--ref-000001A5-QINU`"'. Meanwhile, Malta is one of the countries whose legislation does not permit embryo discarding and allows to inseminate up to three oocytes while all resulting embryos are required to be transferred'"`UNIQ--ref-000001A6-QINU`"'. Although this immensely complicated issue is substantially discussed in the bioethical and philosophical literature, it is still one of the most significant ethical dilemmas in the world of Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART)'"`UNIQ--ref-000001A7-QINU`"' +
See also: http://www.nature.com/news/fewer-numbers-better-science-1.20858 +
As Anne Pybern (a member of the Committee on Ethics) notes, such scenario requires carefully considered and flexible responses so that we do not end up serving the various existing rules instead of using these rules to service the ethical needs of humanity accordingly. +
*A set of guidelines to develop mentorship training designed to take into account ethical ambiguities from a cultural perspective and identifying beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors that could impact interpretation or acceptance of institutional standards and guidelines (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia guidebook).
*A set of online modules designed to offer the user an open-ended learning environment. This is to say that there is no set path that all users must follow, while there will be a strongly suggested path, the module will not force each user into an area. Users are free to decide how to use the materials presented to suit their individual needs and interests. Of course, our wish is that the user will review all sections of the module in depth along our suggested path (Columbia University training module)
*A set of online modules on RCR topics developed with the support of RCR Education Grants awarded by the Office of Research Integrity to the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at Northern Illinois University (Northern Illinois University training module).
*A series of video vignettes and discussion guide to provoke discussion, facilitate problem-solving and identify alternate courses of action (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia training module).
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The aim of all eight scenarios is to allow researchers, research ethics committees ('RECs'), research integrity offices ('RIOs') and research administrators to focus their reflection on core principles and research contexts that enshrine good research practice as well as their local rules and practices. +
Editors need to publish a retraction notice and specifically clarify the unreliability of results, without making a reference to the mental state of the author. +
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The concordat targets four main areas:
*Maintaining the highest standards of research integrity
*Embedding a culture of research integrity
*Dealing with allegations of research misconduct
*A commitment to strengthening research integrity
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- Preparatoty steps
-Steps of investigative procedure: pre-screening, screening, formal investigation +
