As with the previous two editions, the Third Edition of this text draws its life from my continued teaching and scholarly activities in the field of responsible conduct of research (RCR). The content of RCR courses nationwide continues to change based on new developments, policies, and laws that have an impact on how scientists conduct themselves when doing research. Such content changes were evident when comparing the First and Second Editions. And such continuing change in content is strikingly apparent in the Third Edition. So you’ll find new material in this edition that deals with developments and emerging trends in the research conduct field. In this vein, the Third Edition covers new topics that include the impact of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on human subject research, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the details of NIH’s data sharing policy, publication policies that address biodefense issues, open-access publication, electronic record keeping, and trends in documenting expectations in the mentor-trainee relationship.
With this and other new material, the Third Edition of Scientific Integrity aims to provide a core of topic areas that can be used to teach trainees about the principles of scientific integrity. As in the past, the content of the book is enhanced by the inclusion of interactive exercises like short cases, survey tools, and, now, a play acting scenario that explores authorship credit. Updating of the Third Edition also involved the culling of out-of-date cases coupled with the addition of timely new and challenging ones. The survey teaching tools have been significantly updated and there is new resource material in the appendices. On balance, the core topic material along with the tools for interactive learning make the Third Edition a good choice for a text in RCR courses taught to graduate and postgraduate trainees in the biomedical and natural sciences. The Third Edition’s companion Web Site –www.scientificintegrity.net –augments the book in terms of resource materials of use to RCR instructors and students. At this site, for example, users will be able to gain access to my VCU course electronic syllabus which will afford them an in-depth view of how the Scientific Integrity text is used in practice.
Although the Third Edition of Scientific Integrity covers a variety of topics related to the conduct of scientific investigation, it is not a rulebook for the scientist. Guidelines and policies, standards, and codes are presented and discussed so that readers will be aware that many of these issues are influenced by both written policies and normative standards. Yet, the values of the individual scientist take on major importance in doing scientific research. This will become readily apparent in any case discussion session. Scientists continually make judgments and decisions about their research. Whether the issue is the timely release of experimental materials to a colleague or decisions about authorship on a manuscript, personal and professional standards and values come into play. Thus, definitive, unambiguous advice on dealing with these and other issues cannot be taught in textbooks. There are many acceptable possibilities.
The Third Edition of Scientific Integrity aims to plant the seeds of awareness of existing, changing, and emerging standards in scientific conduct. Likewise, it provides the tools to promote critical thinking in use of that information. Taken together, these elements foster the hope that the book will set the stage for lifelong learning in scientific integrity and the responsible conduct of research.
Francis L. Macrina
Richmond, Virginia