How scientific are scientific studies?

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-NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTERVienna, Virginia http://www.nvic.org* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * UNITED WAY/COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN #8122* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *"Protecting the health and informed consent rights of children since 1982." ==========================================================================================http://www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/532110.htmlMany Researchers Break the Rules: StudyPressures in and outside lab may be to blame, experts say.By Amanda GardnerHealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, April 13 (HealthDay

News) -- If you think the average scientistain't misbehavin', think again.A new study has found that scientific misbehavior appears to be endemic andis occurring far more often than just the more egregious, media-hypedexamples, such as faking research."Not all scientific misconduct is these gross violations likefalsifications, plagiarism and fabrication," said study lead author RaymondDe Vries, an associate professor of medical education and a member of theBioethics Program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor."A lot of us aren't making up data and stealing data," he said. However, hebelieves that intense competition within the sciences is having a negativeeffect on researchers."Many scientists are worrying more about little things that go along withworking in the lab," De Vries said, "like how do you interpret your data,how do you stick with the increasing number

of rules in science, how do youdeal with the increasingly intense competition for rewards that are stayingmore or less the same as we're producing more and more scientists?"De Vries is lead author of the research that appears in the premier issue ofthe Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. A second paperin the same journal, for which De Vries is senior author, looked at"organizational justice." It found that scientists who believe they arebeing treated unfairly are more likely to behave in ways that push theenvelope of integrity.But it's been flagrant instances of falsification and plagiarism that havemade headlines recently.The downward tailspin in science gathered speed early this year, when it wasrevealed that two studies detailing South Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk'ssupposed "breakthroughs" with stem cell cloning were faked.That was preceded by the

revelation in December that Merck employees hadwithheld critical data about heart attacks in a landmark trial involving thenow-banned cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx.And, most recently, a paper that first appeared last October showing thatnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced the risk of oralcancer, turned out to be completely false. The database of 908 studyparticipants itself was fabricated, with 250 of the people sharing the samebirth date. The author of that study, Dr. Jon Sudbo, of the Norwegian RadiumHospital in Oslo, Norway, has now also confessed to faking data formouth-cancer studies published in 2004 and 2005.But what of indiscretions occurring outside of the media spotlight?For this study, De Vries and his colleagues conducted six focus groups witha total of 51 researchers culled from top U.S. research universities.Participants said they were more concerned with

mundane, everyday problemsthat seemed to fall into four categories: the meaning of data, the rules ofscience, life with colleagues and the pressure to produce."After the focus groups, we felt like we had been at a confessional," DeVries remarked. "We didn't intend this, but the focus groups became a placewhere people could unburden themselves."One young scientist up for her master's degree was advised by an externalexaminer to "chop off the last two data points."Another participant told of a famous scientist who wrote unflatteringletters of recommendation for students he liked (so they would never leavehis lab) and accolades for students he hated (so someone else would hirethem).Other problems mentioned included manipulation of the peer review system,exploitation of junior colleagues, unreported conflicts of interest,stealing of ideas and withholding of data.In

the second study, a national sample of 4,367 National Institutes ofHealth-funded scientists were asked to review a list of 33 behaviorsidentified in the focus groups and indicate if they had engaged in any ofthe behaviors, or if they had seen another scientist engage in them duringthe past three years. Results of the national survey corresponded well withthe focus group results, the authors stated.According to De Vries, it's the organizational culture, not individualfoibles, that are ultimately responsible for these transgressions.Others agreed."One of the issues we're going to have to address is institutional culture,which makes it easier for such behavior," said Adil Shamoo, professor ofbiochemistry and bioethics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore andeditor-in-chief of the journal Accountability in Research. "Institutionshaven't really dealt with these issues in a forthright

manner. They'reclosing their eyes to it, or only opening them slightly.""Our top research institutions brag about the amount of money they bring in,not the amount of new knowledge," Shamoo said. "It's really disturbing.""What can we do institutionally to help reduce both the misdemeanors and thetemptation to cross lines and how do we inculcate virtue in practitioners?"added David Magnus, associate professor of pediatrics and director of theStanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. "How do we make sure ethics isintegrated into the practice of science?"=============================================News is a free service of the National Vaccine InformationCenter and is supported

through membership donations. Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how to protect your informed consent rights http://www.nvic.orgBecome a member and support NVIC's work https://www.nvic.org/making%20cash%20donations.htmTo sign up for a free e-mail subscription http://www.nvic.org/emaillist.htmTo from this list, please go to http://nvic.org/emaillistunsub.htm or send an email to news-request and type UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the email.NVIC is funded through individual membership donations and does not receive government funding. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-founder.NOTE: This is not an interactive e-mail list. Please do not respond to messages. "Our ideal is not the spirituality

that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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