Physician's Unethical Research Potentially Harmed Patients

An anesthesiologist may have caused harm to surgical patients including kidney damage and death through his flawed research and potential misuse of "intravenous solutions containing hydroxyethyl starch, or hetastarch, which doctors use to stabilize the blood pressure of patients during and after surgery or trauma" ("A Scientist's Fraudulent Studies Put Patients at Risk," Science, October 26, 2018). Joachim Boldt who worked at an academic teaching hospital in Germany "likely fabricated data, ignored ethics rules, and committed other kinds of misconduct in 98 articles he published with co-authors."

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think made this doctor seemingly put his patients in danger due to his unethical research?
2. If you worked with this doctor as an assistant and saw problems with his research, would you discuss the issue with him? Why or why not?

Physician Accused of Scientific Misconduct and Fraud

A physician's credentials are being called into question but the National Academy of Medicine is finding it difficult to remove him as a member after he was found to have "plagiarized five research papers, fabricated an account of his personal exploits in Iraq, and claimed unearned degrees and awards" ("Doctors Urge Elite Academy to Expel a Member Over Charges of Plagiarism." The New York Times, April 9, 2018). The article discusses the impact of this academic dishonesty on the doctor whose work was misused and the medical textbook editors who didn't check for plagiarism before their book was published.

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you feel if a colleague of yours said he was the author of your research?
2. Should doctors be held to the same standard of academic integrity as college students? A higher standard? Why or why not?
3. Should all books be checked for plagiarism before being published? Why or why not?

Scientist Faked Data in Multiple Experiments

At least six instances of research misconduct were found in studies by a former Harvard psychology professor according to an internal university audit of his work and an investigation by the federal Office of Research Integrity (Boston Globe, September 5, 2012, "Former Harvard Professor Marc Hauser Fabricated, Manipulated Data, US Says"). Marc Hauser resigned his Harvard position last summer after a leave of absence and a faculty vote that would have prevented him from teaching. The main problems with his research stem from inaccurate data collection and reporting. He is now subject to greater limitations and scrutiny on any federal research he conducts for the next three years.

Discussion Questions:

1. When a researcher's work is found to be faulty in a number of cases, is it fair to suspect that all the studies he/she conducted may not be valid? Why or why not?
2. What happens to the reputation of all the students and researchers that worked with Hauser? Is their role in the problematic studies called into question as well? Or does Hauser's statement of responsibility for the errors absolve all the other researchers of suspected misconduct?

Journalist Fabricated Bob Dylan Quotes in Book

Writer/author Jonah Lehrer's dramatic ethical fall (see the July 10, 2012 blog post) now includes creating false quotes from legendary singer, Bob Dylan that were included in Lehrer's latest book, Imagine: How Creativity Works ("Jonah Lehrer, Caught Making Up Bob Dylan Quotes, Resigns from The New Yorker," New York Magazine, July 30, 2012). Then Lehrer proceeded to lie about his dishonest act when journalist Michael C. Moynihan questioned him about the source material for the quotes. Lehrer explained away the lack of a trail for the quotes by telling Moynihan that the material could be found in "unreleased footage" of Martin Scorsese’s documentary No Direction Home and other sources that don't exist. Lehrer has resigned his staff writer job at New Yorker.

Discussion Questions: 

1. Lehrer's credibility is seriously damaged due to his fabrication and lies. Are readers of his other books and articles going to suspect that his other writings may be totally or somewhat false? Why or why not?
2. Can Lehrer regain his credibility so that he can secure another job as a journalist? Or should he become strictly a fiction writer? Why or why not?
3. What should Lehrer do to atone for his deception, especially to the libraries, individuals, and groups that purchased some 200,000 copies of his latest book?

Push to Publish Spurs Fabricated Research in China

Because the status and pay of Chinese scholars is based on the amount of published research, unethical practices have been exposed by Western experts. (Rampant Cheating Could Degrade China's Research Ambitions - Austin American-Statesman from Associated Press, April 20, 2010). But plagiarism, faked research, and related misdeeds are not considered to be serious problems by all Chinese academics. Lu Keqian, a former teacher freely admits that he receives $45 to write papers, saying that "great leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping needed help writing." Some 70 papers from Jinggangshan University were found to be "fabricated" by a British journal in December.

Discussion Questions:

1. If there is rampant academic misconduct, do you think the results of all research studies conducted in China should be reviewed?
   
2. Why do you think the writer mentioned in the article thinks that writing for others isn't wrong?