Research Ethics and
Misconduct: Research
Reproducibility
Baraka Malaki Morris (BSc.N, RN, MBE)
Jon F. Merz (MBA, JD, PhD)
Objectives

By the end of this presentation participants
should be able to:
Describe the research misconduct
 Describe Reproducibility in research
 Describe factors that contribute research misconduct
(Compromising reproducibility)
 Effects of research misconducts
 Discuss ways to improve research reproducibility
(Research Integrity)

Introduction
What is Research Misconduct?
Research Misconduct (RM)
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Research misconduct is defined as fabrication
(making up results), falsification (manipulating
process- es and results), and plagiarism (stealing
other’s work)
Research misconduct is intentional/irresponsible
research practices that falls short of good ethical
and scientific standards
It does not include accidental error or honest
misinterpretation of results
Other Questionable research practices
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Publishing the same data or results in two or more
publications
Failing to declare conflicts of interest,
Inappropriately assigning authorship credit
Withholding details of methodology or results in papers or
proposals
Using inadequate or inappropriate research designs
Dropping observations or data points from analyses based
on a gut feeling that they were inaccurate
Inadequate record keeping related to research projects
Contributing factors for RM
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Pressure to publish (Publish or Perish pressure)
Pressure of severe competition for fund
Requirements to get significant positive results
for future funding and promotion
Pressure to get desire results in the case of
sponsored study
Lack or Poor preparation about the realities and
stresses of a scientific career
Contributing factors for RM cont…
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Lack of awareness of rules and standards for
proper scientific conducts e.g. students
Expectation and pressure from the supervisors
and sponsors
Poor relationship with colleagues
Too much work/responsibilities in a given
timeline
Lack of good communication and documentation
Research Reproducibility
Research findings/results are considered as
reproducible once an independent researcher
conducts an experiment under similar conditions
to a previous study, and achieves commensurate
results.
Causes Irreproducibility
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Poor study design, methodologies and/or
practices.
Inappropriate data analysis.
Incomplete reporting of research methods and
results
Inadequate quality control.
Factors associated to Irreproducibility
1.
2.
3.
False discovery rate and small sample sizes
(affect the statistical power of the research)
Small effect size (a large proportion of the
most easily observed phenomena have already
been discovered).
Exploratory analyses (positive results are likely
to be published than negative ones or
inconclusive)
Factors associated to Irreproducibility
4.
5.
6.
7.
Flexible study designs (the greater the flexibility
the less likely the research findings are to be
true)
Conflicts of interest and introduction of bias
High – profile scientific field
Poor study design and lack of standardization
Factors associated to Irreproducibility
8.
9.
10.
Lack of research training among researchers
Insufficient information about materials,
method and data analysis
Failure to disclose full results including raw
data
Whistleblowers
Is there a duty to whistle blow?
(Discussion)
Whistleblowers
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Institutions must provide protection/support to
individuals who report research misconduct
About 60% of whistleblowers has experienced
negative consequences of whistleblowing including:
Loss of job (fired or denied contract renewal)
 Denied promotion
 Loss of research opportunity
 Pressured to drop allegations
 Threats of being sued
 Ostracized by colleagues

Consequences of Misconduct
It jeopardizes the good name of the
institution
 Misconduct in a clinical trial places all
subjects in that trial at possible safety risk
 Misconduct jeopardizes the reliability of
submitted and/or published findings hence
undermines the country’s mission to protect
and promote the public health
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Consequences of Misconduct cont…
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Failure to publish (withdrawal or correction of all
pending and published papers and abstracts
affected by the misconduct)
Reprimand, removal from project, rank and salary
reduction, dismissal
Restitution of funds to the granting agency
Ineligibility to apply for grants for years
The end of your research career
Strategies to Promote Research Integrity
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Training and Mentorship
Developing an appropriate institutional culture
Adopting and developing research codes and
policies at institutional level
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