Degree Revoked by University Due to Research Misconduct

A University of Colorado researcher lost his Ph.D. and his ability to receive federal funding for a three-year period due to misconduct in the lab ("Disgraced CU Scientist Debarred after Falsifying Data," Daily Camera, December 26, 2018). Lab personnel noted in interviews that the research "felt immense pressure from his mentor to produce quality results that could generate future funding for the lab." Based on governmental review of the case, Rajendra Kadam was found to have "engaged in research misconduct by knowingly and intentionally falsifying and/or fabricating data by manipulating peak area data to reduce variability and/or alter statistical significance for twenty-six figures and five tables in his Ph.D. thesis and in nine published papers."

Discussion Questions:

1. Would you risk having your college degree rescinded to alter research data in an experiment if your supervisor encouraged you to "produce quality results?" Why or why not?
2. Can this researcher salvage his reputation after losing his degree due to scientific misconduct? Why or why not?
3. If you were asked to engage in unethical behavior on the job, what would you do?

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?