On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition
2009

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The scientific research enterprise is built on a foundation of trust. Scientists trust that the results reported by others are valid. Society trusts that the results of research reflect an honest attempt by scientists to describe the world accurately and without bias. But this trust will endure only if the scientific community devotes itself to exemplifying and transmitting the values associated with ethical scientific conduct.

On Being a Scientist was designed to supplement the informal lessons in ethics provided by research supervisors and mentors. The book describes the ethical foundations of scientific practices and some of the personal and professional issues that researchers encounter in their work. It applies to all forms of research—whether in academic, industrial, or governmental settings-and to all scientific disciplines.

This third edition of On Being a Scientist reflects developments since the publication of the original edition in 1989 and a second edition in 1995. A continuing feature of this edition is the inclusion of a number of hypothetical scenarios offering guidance in thinking about and discussing these scenarios.

On Being a Scientist is aimed primarily at graduate students and beginning researchers, but its lessons apply to all scientists at all stages of their scientific careers.

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82 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-11970-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-11971-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/12192

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National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. 2009. On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Front Matter i-xviii
Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research 1-3
Advising and Mentoring 4-7
The Treatment of Data 8-11
Mistakes and Negligence 12-14
Research Misconduct 15-18
Responding to Suspected Violations of Professional Standards 19-23
Human Participants and Animal Subjects in Research 24-27
Laboratory Safety in Research 28-28
Sharing of Research Results 29-34
Authorship and the Allocation of Credit 35-38
Intellectual Property 39-42
Competing Interests, Commitments, and Values 43-47
The Researcher in Society 48-50
Appendix: Discussion of Case Studies 51-56
Additional Resources 57-64

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On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition (2009)

Chapter: The Researcher in Society

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On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition (2009)

Chapter: The Researcher in Society