The authors argue for a process that supports self-policing of RI in the US and Sweden, but are largely reinventing the role that would exist in an education-focussed RI system (such as the RIA in the Australian Code) set up to achieve a regulatory pyramid where the intensity of regulation is proportionate. They don’t acknowledge that the US focus on policing FFP is in many ways an international outlier.
Early career scientists sometimes observe senior scientists engage in apparent scientific misconduct, but feel powerless to intervene, lest they imperil their careers. We propose a Secure Reporting Procedure that both protects them, when pursuing those concerns, and treats the senior scientists fairly. The proposed procedure is, we argue, consistent with the ethical principles of the scientific community, as expressed in the codes of its professional organizations. However, its implementation will require changes in procedures and regulations. Those efforts will be a small price to pay for protecting the scientific community’s integrity and fidelity to its principles. We begin by describing the circumstances motivating the proposal, then sketch its design, and, finally, illustrate next steps in its application in two national settings.
Fischhoff, B., Dewitt, B., Sahlin, NE. & Davis, A. (2021) A secure procedure for early career scientists to report apparent misconduct. Life Sciences, Society and Policy 17(2) https://doi.org/10.1186/s40504-020-00110-6
Publisher (Open Access): https://lsspjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40504-020-00110-6
