Search by property

This page provides a simple browsing interface for finding entities described by a property and a named value. Other available search interfaces include the page property search, and the ask query builder.

List of results

Data acquisition + (A graduate student finds out there is a significant gap in the data that her research group has published on. The data are unaccounted for in the lab-book.)
Mentoring: minorities + (A graduate student from a minority backgro … A graduate student from a minority background is studying at a good university. She struggles however due to insufficient intensive courses at her undergraduate university. Her grades are not great. A faculty member asks the sutdent to participate in meeting aimed at recruiting minority students for the university's graduate program. The student is in doubt, because on the one hand she feels flattered, but on the other hand she is afraid that her coursework will suffer.is afraid that her coursework will suffer.)
Mentoring: lack of interest + (A graduate student is working under the supervision of a professor. However, the professor does not provide the student with a problem, nor seems interested in the work the student is doing alone.)
Intellectual property and power imbalance + (A graduate student makes a significant sci … A graduate student makes a significant scientific discovery. When he shares it with his advisor, the advisor tells him the discovery is relatively minor. A few weeks later, the student finds out his advisor has published his discovery. The publication acknowledges the discussion with the student, but does not include him as an author. When the student confronts his advisor, she responds that "this is how the world works" and that he should be faster to publish his findings next timeThe student makes a complaint to the department chair, who asks if he has proof. The student did not takes detailed notes and fears he cannot prove the matter. He feels stupid, and doubts if he should just accept what happened.ts if he should just accept what happened.)
Intellectual Rights Involving Multiple Institutions + (A graduate student obtains the same findings as his mentor’s collaborators who work at other universities. The graduate student’s mentor and mentor’s collaborator have both signed a Material Transfer Agreement.)
Collaboration dispute + (A group of three scientists fails to agree … A group of three scientists fails to agree on the interpretation of their findings. One of the three decides to publish separately, the other two decide to wait for the first researcher's article to be published. During the course of the project, the first researcher who is in the midst of the publication process, leaves the university. By accident, a fax from the publishing journal is sent to the old university, so the other two scientists discover where the first scientists intends to publish. They contact the journal, argue the first scientists interpretation is wrong and offer the journal their alternative view. offer the journal their alternative view.)
M-power + (A healthy research culture supports the pr … A healthy research culture supports the practice of responsible science. However, the role of (research) culture is often underestimated or difficult to change. The goal of the (em)power groups to improve research culture project is to improve research culture. To this end, we are developing in two years’ time a conversation tool that allows research groups/departments to think and reflect on responsible research with the aim of raising awareness about the influence of research culture on the behavior of scientists how (young) scientists can change this culture. This conversation tool will use a novel series of videos and will be tailored to the needs within various disciplinary fields at departmental level. By actively seeking out departments needs and by offering the developed tool at department or research group meetings, we aim to reach a large group of early career scientists to empower them to speak up.er scientists to empower them to speak up.)
M-Power Workshop Facilitator Instructions + (A interactive workshop aimed at exploring what empowerment is for early career researchers (ECRs) and PhDs, in the context of daily life in academia. And to raise awareness of the role PhDs hold in influencing research culture.Find in depth instructions here: [https://osf.io/9t2mg/files/x5b9m M-Power Facilitator Instructions.pdf]Print out for guiding questions here: [https://osf.io/rhw94 Guiding questions]The slides for the workshop here: [https://osf.io/z97sb M-Power Workshop Slides]p here: [https://osf.io/z97sb M-Power Workshop Slides])
New claim to authorship of published paper + (A journal received a submission from autho … A journal received a submission from author A with co-authors B, C and D. After review and revision it was published in mid-2012. In April 2013 we received a complaint from author X, saying that the work published in this paper was his work, and that although author A had been his research supervisor at the time the work was done, authors B, C and D had either little or no input to the work. Author X said that the correct authorship should be X and A in that order.uthorship should be X and A in that order.)
Data manipulation and institute’s internal review + (A journal received an enquiry from a reade … A journal received an enquiry from a reader stating that they had found some discrepancies in the spectra published in the electronic supporting information for a published paper. They suggested that the discrepancies would be consistent with the spectra being manually ‘cleaned’. If this were true, the characterisation and purity of the compounds reported in the paper would be called into question.The editor checked the spectra in close detail and verified that the discrepancies that the reader had identified were a reasonable cause for concern. The editor also checked the author’s related papers in the journal and identified a total of four papers that were affected by similar discrepancies in the spectra. When the editor contacted the lead author to discuss the concerns, they explained that ‘cleaning’ spectra to remove impurity peaks was not a practice that was carried out by their research group, and they did not believe that it had occurred in this instance. However, the researcher who had carried out the analysis had now left the group and the original data files where no longer available.As a comparison with the original data files could not be made, the journal approached an independent expert to obtain a second opinion on the evidence available in the published spectra. The expert confirmed that there was clear evidence that the spectra had been altered and that this could be consistent with an attempt to overestimate the yields for the reported reactions.Following this, the journal contacted the director of the institute to request their assistance in determining whether the spectra had in fact been altered. The director consulted with the lead author and the head of their facility. They confirmed that it was not possible to locate the original data due to a limitation of their archival system. They stated that their internal review had not found any ‘intentional altering of the spectra’. They stated that on that basis, the papers should not be suspected and should be allowed to stand.This recommendation runs contrary to the evidence that we believe can be seen in the spectra, but in the absence of the original data files it is difficult to make a conclusive judgement. difficult to make a conclusive judgement.)
Journal Impact Factor + (A journal’s ‘Impact Factor’ (IF) gives an … A journal’s ‘Impact Factor’ (IF) gives an indication of journal influence. The IF is a measure of the number of citations divided by the number of published articles in a journal.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' It is calculated for an entire year, taking into account number of citations in that year to all items published in the previous two years, and divided with a number of scholarly items (article, review, proceedings paper) in the previous two years.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' For example, the 2018 IF of a journal reflects the number of times all items published in the journal in 2016 and 2017 were cited in 2018, divided by the number of scholarly items published in the journal in 2016 and 2017.'"`UNIQ--references-00000002-QINU`"'2017. '"`UNIQ--references-00000002-QINU`"')
Protocol Violations Putting Animal Subjects in Harm’s Way + (A junior researcher in charge of an experiment involving animal subjects allows several protocol violations to occur, resulting in public backlash.)
A Case Series in Publication Ethics: Data Fabrication + (A junior researcher published an article. … A junior researcher published an article. A senior researcher of the organisation read the article and noticed the striking resemblance of the article topic with one of his accepted research projects, which was still in ongoing. They asked the junior researcher for their raw data. The junior researcher was unable to provide the data. Finally, they admitted to fabricating the data.ly, they admitted to fabricating the data.)
Fraudulent algorithm: A pain too deep for adequate analgesia + (A leading and pioneering anaesthesiologist … A leading and pioneering anaesthesiologist in Massachusetts, United States was suspected of fraud, having falsified results in at least 21 manuscripts published over 15 years. This has become one of the largest cases of fraud in US medical research history.s of fraud in US medical research history.)
Misconduct oversight at the DOE: Investigation closed + (A legal case about public access to docume … A legal case about public access to documents is raising questions about the US Department of Energy's scrutiny of alleged scientific misconduct. On 6 April, a federal district judge in Boston, Massachusetts, dismissed a lawsuit that I had filed in 2009 under the US Freedom of Information Act. He concluded that the US government does not have to release a report on an investigation into a case of alleged scientific misconduct at a national laboratory. The ruling was disappointing but liberating: I finally had occasion to write about a case that has shown how the US Department of Energy (DOE) takes a strikingly hands-off approach to the oversight of such investigations.h to the oversight of such investigations.)
Mentoring: disabilities + (A mentor has a research student for his re … A mentor has a research student for his research group. Over the course of the semester, the student becomes seriously ill with a chronic disease. As a result, the student regularly misses experiments and falls behind on the research. The mentor is in doubt what to do. He wants to be supportive of the student, but also has an obligation to the research sponsor. In addition, the student is foreign and will lose his right to stay in the country if he loses his affiliation with the university.loses his affiliation with the university.)
Reporting violations + (A mentor supervises a student who takes additional courses in another department. During a google search out of curiosity, the mentor finds out the student has plagiarised large parts of his essays for those courses.)
Valley of Sorrow + (A mid-career researcher has strong links t … A mid-career researcher has strong links to a pharmaceutical company. He learns that the company has made advances in relation to a process that results in compounds that can reduce mortality in relation to a neglected tropical disease and influenza, as well as treating the common cold. Because of prior use, neither the process nor the resulting compounds can be patented. The company wants to work for a further five years on the process and compounds in order to get ahead of rivals and make a profit from the developments in high income countries in relation to influenza and the common cold. However, in that time, thousands of people suffering from the neglected tropical disease could be saved. Should the researcher break a confidentiality agreement and reveal the process and compounds? This is a fictional case.s and compounds? This is a fictional case.)
Moral conflict and moral dilemma + (A moral conflict is a situation in which a … A moral conflict is a situation in which a person has two moral obligations, which cannot be met both at once. Behind these obligations lie conflicting values. Sometimes, the conflict can be resolved to the full satisfaction of the different parties involved, i.e. without leaving behind any regrettable remainder or residue. A moral dilemma is an irresolvable moral conflict, i.e. no fully satisfactory resolution is possible since all possible options for action leave behind a remainder that does not cease to be morally binding.that does not cease to be morally binding.)
Robbing the Grave: Investigator Takes Ownership of Deceased Scholar’s Work + (A new faculty member replaces the deceased mentor of a graduate student and takes credit for a manuscript prepared by the deceased.)
Questioning a Mentor + (A new graduate researcher suspects her supervisor of having falsified research for publications which were needed for his tenure. What should the researcher do? This is a fictional case.)
Duplicate publication uprooted from plant journal + (A paper had been published in a less known journal in the boundaries of a specific country as well as submitted to an international journal. The paper was later on retracted.)
Divorce study felled by a coding error gets a second chance + (A paper was given the chance for correction, following detection of errors in data coding and therefore in results. Such mistakes often mean that papers are retracted. This is a factual case.)
Data anonymity + (A paper was submitted to our journal. The … A paper was submitted to our journal. The managing editor was concerned about patient information in the paper and queried the authors. The authors responded that the data were collected from routine samples and so consent was never obtained. The patients were lost to follow-up, and there was no ethics committee approval as it involved the study of existing data, but they did discuss with the institutional review board who said it was exempt.The cohort was 2500 patients, all with one syndrome, in one hospital. The paper contains two tables that display data from 12 patients: sex, age, presenting symptom, as well as laboratory parameters and outcome.well as laboratory parameters and outcome.)
The Suspect Questionnaire + (A physician gives a young anthropologist a questionnaire that appears to have been taken from a research proposal rejected by the physician.)

The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science + (A plea to reform modern science, with 40 proposed reforms.)

Rainy Days for a Struggling Mentee + (A postdoctoral researcher finds herself struggling to meet the unrealistic expectations of her mentor.)
A Case Series in Publication Ethics: Disputes in Authorship (1) + (A postgraduate medical student at Mashhad … A postgraduate medical student at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Mashhad, Iran) complained to the vice chancellor of research that they had not been included in the authors list of an article, which used results from her thesis. The senior researcher involved in her thesis claimed that she has forgotten to include the student as an author.otten to include the student as an author.)
The Wild West of Animal Experimentation + (A principle investigator discovers that her coinvestigator has violated the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocol.)
Procrastinating Reviewer + (A procrastinating researcher must face a review board when he has not finished his assignment.)
Informal Surveys for Policy and Planning that "Trigger" Research Projects + (A professor serving at an administrative c … A professor serving at an administrative committee at the university reviews surveys sent to students, faculty and staff regarding issues relevant to the university. The surveys are meant to inform the administration about the opinions of key stakeholders. However, the professor observes that some of the results could be used for a paper about the crisis of the higher education which he proceeds to write. The case study asks whether the surveys should be reviewed by an ethics committee and whether the professor's approach protects human subjects.fessor's approach protects human subjects.)
Peer review + (A professor tells a student that he is pee … A professor tells a student that he is peer-reviewing the article of another research group, with whom you are in direct competition for funding. The student recognizes the conflict on interest at play. The professor asks the student for his opinion on the paper, which the student reads. The student sees that the professor is reviewing the article "unfavourably", but thinks the professor has plausibly argued in the review.fessor has plausibly argued in the review.)
Potential figure manipulation with corresponding author uncontactable + (A reader contacted the journal to raise co … A reader contacted the journal to raise concerns about a paper containing a potentially manipulated figure. The editor-in-chief agreed with the assessment that the figure had been manipulated and attempted to contact the corresponding author, without response. Following further contact with the co-authors and institution, it was established that the corresponding author had retired after publication of the paper, and no current contact details could be found.No co-authors were able to confirm how the figure was constructed, but explained that it was an old image that was made by or for the corresponding author, and that the location of the raw image or original data was not known due to the corresponding author’s laboratory being dismantled on retirement. The figure is also present in a previous publication from 2007. The figure manipulation does not appear to affect the scientific results or conclusions of the paper.tific results or conclusions of the paper.)
The rector who resigned after plagiarizing a student’s PhD thesis + (A rector allegedly copied whole extracts of a PhD student's thesis. When the case was discovered, an investigation led to severe consequences for him, including his resignation.)
Understanding artificial intelligence ethics and safety: A guide for the responsible design and implementation of AI systems in the public sector + (A remarkable time of human promise has bee … A remarkable time of human promise has been ushered in by the convergence of the ever-expanding availability of big data, the soaring speed and stretch of cloud computing platforms, and the advancement of increasingly sophisticated machine learning algorithms.Innovations in AI are already leaving a mark on government, by improving the provision of essential social goods and services from healthcare, education, and transportation to food supply, energy, and environmental management. These bounties are likely just the start.The prospect that progress in AI will help government to confront some of its most urgent challenges is exciting, but legitimate worries abound. As with any new and rapidly evolving technology, a steep learning curve means that mistakes and miscalculations will be made and that both unanticipated and harmful impacts will occur.In order to manage these impacts responsibly and to direct the development of AI systems toward optimal public benefit, The Alan Turing Institute's Public Policy Programme partnered with the [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-artificial-intelligence Office for Artificial Intelligence] and the [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-digital-service Government Digital Service] to produce guidance on the responsible design and implementation of AI systems in the public sector.tation of AI systems in the public sector.)
Selling Out? Making Deals with Other Institutions + (A research group offers a post-doctoral student an opportunity to collaborate with them and offers him an incentive to leave his current position.)
Errata + (A research group publishes several papers … A research group publishes several papers on an important finding in high-impact journals. Months later, a new graduate student is asked to replicate this research and reproduce the findings. The student finds he is unable to reproduce the findings, and even has an explanation for this impossibility.has an explanation for this impossibility.)
Informed Consent with Pre-Testing Convenience Samples + (A research team preparing a study of urban … A research team preparing a study of urban poverty decides to hold a pre-test during a conference related to a devoted subject. After the organizers agree, they distribute surveys among the conference participants who may fill them if they want. The case study asks whether the researchers obtained sufficient consent.e researchers obtained sufficient consent.)
A Case Series in Publication Ethics: Redundant Publication + (A researcher had previously published an … A researcher had previously published an article in his native language. They prepared another article in English and submitted it to another journal. The manuscript was accepted for publication. However, the editor in-chief of the English journal managed to find out about the first article and asked the author to clarify the issue. The researcher asked for permission from the first journal to publish the article in English in another journal. Permission was granted. The article was published in English.ted. The article was published in English.)
A Case Series in Publication Ethics: Disputes in Authorship (2) + (A researcher at Mashhad University of Medi … A researcher at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Mashhad, Iran) included a senior researcher of another department in the authors list of their article. Although the senior researcher was not aware of their inclusion, he thanked the researcher upon receiving a copy of the published article.receiving a copy of the published article.)
Mistaken Claim of Authorship + (A researcher believes that they should be included as a co-author after critically reviewing a study proposal.)
Procrastinating Researcher Delegates Grant Reviews to Trainee + (A researcher delays looking at grant application she has been assigned to review and asks his trainee to review some of the grant proposals.)
Reporting Adverse Effects + (A researcher finds out that a drug she is promoting at a pharmacological conference may have serious adverse effects.)
"Hot" Gifts + (A researcher in an urban ghetto is offered some stolen goods as a gift. Accepting or not accepting the goods has implications for the researcher's integration into the community she is studying. She accepts the stolen clothes but not the record player.)
Materials scientist up to nine retractions + (A researcher in material science has lost several paper to retractions due to figure duplication and data manipulation.)
The Case of Falsified Data + (A researcher in the field "recorded" statements from real people he had never met. He claimed he recorded what he knew they would have said.)
Confidentiality + (A researcher informally acquires knowledge of unpublished research results that support her theory. She is invited to conference at an institution where she hopes to work. Is she allowed to share the research results which are not her own?)
Authorship and Intellectual Property + (A researcher is left feeling resentful after not having been made an author on a research paper even though the researcher provided the underlying idea for the project.)
Political points + (A researcher is unsure how to disseminate potentially controversial findings regarding needle exchange programs and HIV infection rates.)
Reporting Findings in a Timely Manner + (A researcher on the cutting edge of science fails to publish impactful findings because they are more interested in securing future funding.)
A Case Series in Publication Ethics: Copyright Violation + (A researcher sought to include a figure fr … A researcher sought to include a figure from a textbook in his manuscript for a forthcoming submission. Their colleague recommended asking permission to reproduce the figure from the publisher of the book. The researcher emailed the publisher and permission was granted without any charge.permission was granted without any charge.)