A Career in the Balance
A Career in the Balance
A Career in the Balance, Between Haruki and Souta.
Haruki as just months away from finishing his Ph.D. dissertation when he realized that something was seriously amiss with the work of a fellow graduate student, Souta. Haruki was convinced that Souta was not actually making the measurements he claimed to be making. They shared the same lab, but (i) Souta rarely seemed to be there. Sometimes Haruki saw (ii) [Souta’s] research materials thrown away unopened. (iii) The results Souta was turning in to their common thesis adviser seemed too clean to be real.
Haruki knew that he would soon need to ask his thesis adviser for a letter of recommendation for faculty and postdoctoral positions. If he (Haruki) raised the issue with his adviser now, he was sure that it would affect the letter of recommendation. Souta was a favorite of his adviser, who had often helped Souta before when his project ran into problems. Yet Haruki also knew that if he waited to raise the issue, the question would inevitably arise as to when he first suspected problems. Both Haruki and his thesis adviser were using Souta’s results in their own research. If Souta’s data were inaccurate, they both needed to know as soon as possible.
1.What kind of evidence should Haruki have to be able to go to his adviser?
2.Should Haruki first try to talk with Souta, with his adviser, or with someone else entirely?
3.What other resources can Haruki turn to for information that could help him decide what to do?
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Japanese version Research_Ethics06.html
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| 1. In order to prove Haruki’s conviction, objective
evidence is necessary. This is because Souta’s
request regarding research ethics must be objective and not a ad hominem attack. Ad hominem (Latin for 'to the person'), short for argumentum ad hominem, refers to several types of arguments, some but not all of which are fallacious. - Wiki. Nepotism is a form of favoritism which is granted to relatives and friends in various fields, including business, politics, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, and other activities. - Wiki. 2. If Souta is not on good terms with Haruki (because of the potential for conflict of interest if a problem arises, given the description of the situation and the context), Mentor is the first person he can talk to. The mentor should be the first person to consult because he or she understands the research of both parties best and is the one who should act most calmly in the situation. An unrelated third party would not be the first choice, as they would need to gather certain knowledge and information to understand the context. Communication issue: "Take a daily walk around the lab and ask questions. Stop by the whiteboard, make notes, and ask for ideas. Once you establish regular communication, everyone is more comfortable asking questions when something isn’t clear.Because people work so closely in a lab environment, they must interact.” -from “HOW TO IMPROVE CLINICAL AND LAB COMMUNICATION” " 3. I explained the benefits of lab notebooks before. Lab notebooks are the Eustitia (Lady Justice goddess) for researchers to prevent themselves from committing fraud, and they also serve as a document that assures the validity of their experimental records when others question them. |
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Notes: This case example is cited and codified from "US National
Academy of Sciences, On Being a Scientist: A Guide to
Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition, 2009."
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