Research - Extramural
Potential Research Topics
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report, The Responsible Conduct of
Research in the Health Sciences, in 1989 that cited numerous deficiencies in the
knowledge base related to research integrity, the responsible conduct of
research, and research misconduct that continue to exist today. Questions
addressing these deficiencies are presented below under three headings and
14 subheadings.
Research Community
Self-regulation
How do scientists maintain quality and accuracy in research practice through
self-regulation?
Do informal mechanisms of self-regulation - criticism, sharing data, mentoring,
authorship, post- publication review by colleagues - promote the responsible
conduct of research?
Do formal mechanisms of self-regulation - peer review system; departmental
research seminars; appointment, tenure, and promotion policies; visiting
committees - promote the responsible conduct of research?
Research Environment
What factors in the research environment contribute to research misconduct?
What informal and formal practices and procedures in academic research
environments assure and maintain high research integrity?
What organizational and social components of research settings influence the
quality of research performance?
What organizational elements, incentives, and barriers shape the
understanding of, and adherence to, responsible research standards?
Research Institutions
How do institutions monitoring their research enterprise?
What mechanisms do institutions use to assure themselves that an
atmosphere that encourages the performance of good quality work exists in
their institution?
What mechanisms do institutions use to assure themselves that interactions
among senior and junior faculty and trainees promote the responsible conduct
of research in their institution?
What mechanisms are available in institutions to report what appears to be
substandard or irregular research practices?
What impact do appointment, tenure and promotion policies have on research
practices in institutions?
Are ethical qualifications considered in addition to scientific qualifications in
appointment, tenure and promotion decisions in institutions?
What criteria do institutions use to evaluate faculty performance?
Are procedures available in institutions for reviewing submitted manuscripts to
verify the authenticity of the reported results and the contributions of the
designated authors?
Do institutions have officials who are explicitly assigned to promote the
responsible conduct of research?
How do individual researchers evaluate the efforts of institutions to develop
and monitor responsible research practices?
Do the policies and practices of individual research centers promote the
responsible conduct of research?
Quality Assurance
Would stronger internal or external oversight of laboratory researchers
improve quality?
How can substandard research practices be detected?
What are the strengths and limitations of visiting committees as a quality
assurance technique?
What procedures are used by research institutions, journals, professional
groups, and individual investigators in various disciplines to detect and correct
error?
What models for quality control in science including regulations exist that
address
- use of animals
- the handling of hazardous materials
- experiments with recombinant DNA technologies
- applicability of the Good Laboratory Practices guidelines
- value of external audits in basic research
- training and supervisory practices
- relevance of lab size and structure to research integrity
- authorship practices
- significance of formal and informal rules in achieving good lab practices
- communication of high standards of research practice
Journals
Do journals have policies related to responsible research practices?
Scientific and Professional Organizations
What educational and training activities and materials related to the
responsible conduct of research are available from professional and scientific
organizations?
Professional Development
Professional Behavior
What are the effects of training, role models, peer pressure, and the structure
of the research system on professional development, behavior, and
performance in science?
What barriers exist to the development of professional standards?
What are effective methods of professionalization?
What is the role of lab chiefs and department chairs in developing the careers
of young faculty members?
Mentoring/Supervision
What are the supervisory and training practices of faculty and research staff?
How effective are individual discussions between senior investigators and
students in communicating the ideals of science, its values and methods?
What constitutes adequate supervision?
How can professional mentoring be supported and rewarded?
What is the nature of supervision in group settings?
What are the areas of convergence or divergence in comparing the
expectations and attitudes of students/trainees and their research mentors?
How do ethical concerns emerge among students/trainees and their
supervisors?
Instruction and Training
How effective are existing instructional material in the responsible conduct of
research?
How effective are current mechanisms for monitoring quality in graduate
research programs?
Is the training of physician-scientists adequate?
What effect does the structure of the research group and peer influences have
on the training experience?
What factors influence student/trainee satisfaction with their research
experience?
How prevalent is instruction in good research practices in graduate research
training programs?
To what degree are professional and regulatory standards integrated into the
social setting and training of scientists?
Research Process
Data Management
How prevalent are guidelines for data recording, handling, storage, ownership,
custody, sharing and access?
What are the interests of different parties - the institution, principal
investigator, postdoc, students and collaborators- in the sharing of research
data, materials, and methods?
What are the research data-handling practices related to ownership, custody,
and access?
What impact do interdepartmental or multicenter research efforts have on
data-handling and authorship?
Publication
What inhibits the open communication of research results and sharing of
materials?
What factors generate pressure for excessive publication?
How can the pressure to publish be reduced?
What are the effects of excessive publication?
Who is responsible for retracting publications based on faulty research?
Authorship
What criteria govern the allocation of authorship?
Peer Review
What processes would improve peer review of senior and junior faculty
members' work?
What effect do group pressures have on peer review?
Research Misconduct
What factors affect the detection of research misconduct?
What factors discourage the reporting of research misconduct
What factors motivate individuals to commit research misconduct?
How do research misconduct incidents affect the labs, centers, and institutions
in which they occur?
Does research misconduct cases lead to preventive actions in the lab, center or
institution?
How are victims or colleagues of the perpetrators affected?
What happens to whistleblowers?
What happens to respondents?
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Assurance
