http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/scientific_conduct/ Read about scientific conduct, science policies and ethics. en-us Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:05:01 EST Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/scientific_conduct/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124180619.htm Nearly 90 percent of medical journals with relatively high impact factors have policies addressing author conflict of interest available for public review, according to a new study. But many journals do not require authors to sign disclosure statements, and there is variability in how COI is defined. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091124180619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141219.htm As media researchers search for better methods to reach audiences, a new study has found that highlighting racial disparities in news releases increases coverage of health stories in black newspapers, which can improve health outcomes in populations at-risk for disparities. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101044.htm Drug approvals are taking just as long as they ever did despite increased expenditure on new information technology at the Food and drug Administration. So says a statistical analysis of approval intervals from 1997 to 2006. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161809.htm Seven years ago, Russian Security Forces employed a secret incapacitating chemical weapon in their attempt to free 800 hostages held in a Moscow theatre by armed Chechen fighters. Over 120 hostages were killed by the incapacitant and many more continue to suffer long term health problems. Despite reports of further Russian research and use of incapacitants, the international community has refused to address the dangers of the development and proliferation of such weapons, according to a new report. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201443.htm Researchers have found that the discrepancy in media reporting of casualty numbers in the Iraq conflict can potentially misinform the public and contribute to distorted perceptions and gross underestimates of the number of civilians killed in the armed conflict. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174319.htm Two new expert commentaries released in the Sept. 16 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience spotlight the increasingly violent animal rights attacks and the need for an educated public and engaged research community to ensure the safety of animals and researchers, as well as the continuation of health advances. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110526.htm A new study finds that there is little information available about the use of new testing technologies and targeted therapies in breast cancer, specifically the anti-cancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin). Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907142510.htm European researchers have created a legal analysis query engine that combines artificial intelligence, game theory and semantics to offer advice, conflict prevention and dispute settlement for European law, and it even supports policy. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907142510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103621.htm Should peer review detect fraud and misconduct? What does it do for science and what does the scientific community want it to do? Will it illuminate good ideas or shut them down? Should reviewers remain anonymous? These questions are raised by one of the largest ever international surveys of authors and reviewers, the Peer Review Survey 2009, whose preliminary findings have just been released. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826191841.htm Disclosure of financial conflicts of interests to potential participants in research is important, but may have a limited role in managing these conflicts, according to a new study. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826191841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812163901.htm For years journalists and others have questioned the ethics of public relations practitioners and firms. People in PR, however, appear to be getting a bad rap. That's what a new study funded by the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Penn State University has found. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812163901.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142422.htm The development of new products and services is key to business success, but a new study shows that businesses could do a much better job of evaluating new ideas in order to identify products that will be winners in the marketplace. Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142355.htm UK companies with female board members fare worse on the stock market, despite performing as well on all other measures as those with all-male boards. The research suggests that shareholders respond negatively to women being appointed to their boards, causing share values to decline. This is consistent with other recent research that has examined responses to the appointment of female CEOs in the United States. Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807103932.htm Incorrectly treated fractures in children are one of the errors most frequently confirmed in the arbitration process. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807103932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805171105.htm As President Obama and Congress weigh changes in the nation's health-care system they must avoid creating a system where physicians are financially motivated to pressure patients into mandated treatments that conflict with their values and needs, physicians warn. Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805171105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720202559.htm Should the financial ties between doctors and drug companies be completely cut, or are healthy alliances between the two possible with the common aim of improving human health? A debate in PLoS Medicine discusses whether the influence of drug company money on doctors is always a corrupting one. Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720202559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140847.htm The need for a clear set of rules governing genetic ancestry testing is becoming more urgent, according to experts, given the proliferation of private corporations that promise consumers insight into their genetic origins. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702140847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702184146.htm Randomized controlled trials are considered the "gold standard" research method for assessing new medical treatments. But new research shows that the design of a remarkable 93 percent of 2235 so-called RCTs published in some Chinese medical journals during 1994 to 2005 was flawed, casting doubt on the reliability of research that is likely to influence medical decision-makers. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702184146.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625133220.htm Whatever their reason for posting their thoughts online, bloggers have a shared ethical code, according to a recent study. Key issues in the blogosphere are telling the truth, accountability, minimizing harm and attribution, although the extent to which bloggers follow their own ethical ideals can depend on the context and intended audience. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625133220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194348.htm Water management may suffer from a stuffy image in the Netherlands but in Argentina water management is a hot topic for many people. That is because water has a direct impact on the lives of the indigenous peoples in the Argentinean Patagonia region. Researchers investigated how the Mapuce Indians are fairing in the battle for water and the struggle for their rights. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601092145.htm New research shows that gay and lesbian couples are forming long-term, committed relationships, even in the absence of the right to marry. However, couples surveyed for the study overwhelmingly said they would get married if they could in order to secure legal rights -- such as retirement and health care benefits. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601092145.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112715.htm Researchers have found that bipolar disorder is more costly than other chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression, asthma or coronary artery disease. Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422132849.htm The globalization of health care and the growth of "transplant tourism" (traveling abroad to purchase donor organs and undergo organ transplantation) have outpaced the implementation of internationally accepted ethical standards for procurement of organs for transplantation. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422132849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401164051.htm A review of recent reproductive rights cases shows that judges may shortchange women's health when it is pitted against other legal interests, such as religious freedom. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401164051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325091807.htm At a time of heightened concern about conflicts of interest posed by relationships between academic medical researchers and commercial firms, a new study finds that a significant number of academic institutions do not have clear policies covering the industrial relationships of members of Institutional Review Boards, committees charged with ensuring that clinical studies uphold patient rights and follow ethical guidelines. Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325091807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324171550.htm Clarifying legal rights of patient control over electronic health records could be the key to making the best use of the huge amount of electronic medical information that the "stimulus" funding will create in the next few years, according to a national commentary. Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324171550.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318153807.htm Although paying finder's fees to researchers and clinicians to identify study participants could compromise the recruitment process and harm human lives, many medical schools fail to address this conflict of interest in their Institutional Review Board policies. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318153807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310084842.htm Family nurse practitioners need to be more aware of the commercial pressures they face as a result of their increased involvement in prescribing, according to a new survey. The study showed low awareness of how marketing by pharmaceutical companies affects clinical decisions and creates conflict of interest. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310084842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305141633.htm By bringing cases of potential plagiarism out into the open, researchers have shed light on the peer-review process and scientific publication. Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305141633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223083352.htm The drug industry has full control of many scientific societies, journals and clinical practice guidelines, according to the editor of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. A new article provides several suggestions for preserving intellectual freedom in medicine. Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223083352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217080141.htm Study shows many patients are unable to read or understand their rights as patients. Patients hoping to find out about their rights are unlikely to get the information they need from hospital documents designed precisely for that purpose. In reality, patients are presented with information written in legal jargon that the majority of them can neither read nor understand. Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217080141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120204753.htm Data collected from HIV surveillance are crucial to guide public health interventions, planning, and prevention efforts. But developing countries face several challenges to implementing surveillance programs says researchers. Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120204753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217075134.htm A group of French research students is launching an online register to flag up scientific papers that have been tainted by fraud and other types of scientific misconduct. Once a fraudulent paper has been published it is very difficult to remove it. Journals can retract articles from their online databases but libraries all over the world are stocked with printed journals that cannot be recalled. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217075134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210091031.htm Public confidence in the honesty of scientists is being harmed by a small minority of researchers who behave badly, a conference heard last week. European research organizations agreed to work more closely to tackle the problem of fraud and other misconduct in science. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210091031.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208203857.htm Injection drug users sentenced to compulsory detention under China's paradoxical policies on HIV/AIDS and narcotics suffer human rights abuses that may imperil their health, says a new study published in PLoS Medicine. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208203857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211081444.htm The federal government and several states have funded an advertising campaign on methamphetamine use. This study shows that the campaign has produced some negative outcomes. The study author recommends that government support for the campaign should be put on hold to allow for better research of the campaign's effectiveness. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211081444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126075613.htm Media coverage of clinical trials does not contain the elements readers require to make informed decisions. A comparison of the coverage received by pharmaceutical and herbal remedy trials, reported in the journal BMC Medicine, has revealed that it is rarely possible for the lay public to assess the credibility of the described research. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126075613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122626.htm Researchers call for greater scrutiny of the relationship between medical journalists and the health care industries they cover. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113100716.htm When treatment options dwindle or are exhausted, terminally ill-patients often opt for pain management and comfort over life-extending therapies. However, researchers report that a lack of thorough understanding about the laws governing end-of-life care may be leaving many medical providers with an ethical dilemma and causing some terminally-ill patients considerable, unnecessary pain. Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113100716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071957.htm Androgynous leaders, that is, leaders with both masculine and feminine traits, are the ones who best succeed at creating a good climate for innovation. Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106122851.htm “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a sprit of brotherhood”, states Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106122851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081023113053.htm In the light of recent high profile cases of scientific misconduct, the General Assembly of the International Council for Science has reaffirmed the universal values that should guide the conduct of science. The assembly also explicitly recognized the key social responsibilities of the scientific community as laid out in a new booklet, which will be made widely available to scientists across the world. Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081023113053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015110238.htm Unless based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities, efforts by rich countries to combat climate change by funding reductions in deforestation in developing countries will fail, and could even unleash a devastating wave of forest loss, cultural destruction and civil conflict, warned a leading group of forestry and development experts meeting in Oslo this week. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015110238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015110751.htm As the world’s money markets do their best to combat the Credit Crunch, a politics lecturer has discovered that the root of modern democracy’s money woes may lay with the first corporations – pirates. Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015110751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003173016.htm Knowing how an investigator is paid for running a research study surprisingly plays a small role in patients' willingness to take part in clinical trials. However, according to a new study more participants are troubled when they are told that the investigator could profit or lose money depending on the results. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003173016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002204430.htm Should businesses that sell products which are responsible for a huge numbers of deaths, illness and injury, such as tobacco and junk food, be held accountable and made to improve public health? Two experts debate the issue. Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002204430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172251.htm The American Psychological Association sent a letter October 2 to President Bush, informing him of a significant change in the association's policy that limits the roles of psychologists in certain unlawful detention settings where the human rights of detainees are violated, such as has occurred at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at so-called CIA black sites around the world. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172251.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094711.htm Ethnic violence rarer in countries where free market dominates than in those where state plays greater economic role. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094711.htm