Advocate cultivation of academic ethics: why is it necessary?

Sok-Ja Janket,Eleftherios P Diamandis,Jukka Meurman

doi:10.12688/f1000research.20640.2

Sok-Ja Janket, Eleftherios P Diamandis + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.20640.2

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Abstract

We teach and practice ethical behavior with all clinical and research activities. Notably, we are well educated to treat the subjects participating in research studies with high ethical standards. However, the ethics of interacting with colleagues, or with junior faculty members, are neither well defined nor taught. Dealing with junior faculty has parallels to dealing with vulnerable research subjects such as children, mentally or physically challenged groups, prison inmates or army recruits. Like any other vulnerable population, lower-ranking faculty members are often at the mercy of department chairs or other higher-ranked faculty members. Herein we present some potentially unethical or unfair examples related to academic research. Our goal is to educate the academic community of conceptual paths and to prevent similar untoward occurrences from happening in the future. Unethical behaviors related to sexual misconduct have already been described elsewhere and are not included in this manuscript.

Highlights

In 2014, the World Medical Association celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Helsinki[1,2]
We suggest that special committees be formed for each academic institute whose responsibilities are to oversee any deviations from the acceptable ethical boundaries and make recommendations to remediate any alleged ethical transgressions
Researcher A did not know why his numerous job applications were rejected until one prospective employer called the FA1 in the presence of Researcher A. We find this covert evaluation beyond the written letter of recommendation is despicable and should be abolished

Summary

30 Oct 2019

Any reports and responses or comments on the article can be found at the end of the article. Our response: Another reviewer suggested writing about other common ethical indiscretion in academia, we deferred doing so at the present time. Any further responses from the reviewers can be found at the end of the article group where Mother Theresa-like persons will belong. The ethical transgressions we observe in biomedical research fall into the broad area of the middle 90% and it is not easy to determine whether the observed conduct is truly unethical, marginally unethical or not unethical.

Introduction

World Medical Association

Sackett DL