Punishment For Scientific Misdeeds Could Escalate Beyond Shame And Ostracism
Very few scientists face criminal punishment for fabricating research, as it's often seen as a victimless crime, but public sentiment could be changing.
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Should Scientists Who Commit Fraud Serve Jail Time?
In the past decade, only three scientists in the United States have gone to prison for crimes relating to research misconduct. But if public sentiment guides public policy, scofflaw scientists and other jailbirds might soon find themselves cellmates. Turns out Americans appear to favor stiff penalties, including prison terms, for researchers who get caught fabricating their data. (Oransky, 8/4)
In other news from the research community —
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Elizabeth Warren Demands Open Access To Clinical Trial Data
Should researchers make public all the data they collect when testing drugs and medical devices on patients? That’s been a hot question in the scientific community for years — and as debate intensified this week, an unlikely voice weighed in on the side of opening data to all: Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. (Keshavan, 8/4)