Abstract
The reporting of research evidence is vital for the achievement and distribution of knowledge and the advancement of science. This chapter discusses the ethical aspects of reporting, with a prime focus on ethical issues associated with publishing scientific reports. Misconduct in study reporting can occur in a number of forms. This includes misleading reporting, plagiarism, and misrepresenting authorship. These practices as well as publication bias undermine the general principles of epidemiology. Furthermore, authors need to respect the right to confidentiality of research participants in their publications and avoid causing stigma to participants, communities, and themselves. They are also responsible for disclosing all potential and real conflicts of interest, of which there are many types, such as intellectual property.
Evidence described in medical journals tends to constitute, in the aggregate, a biased base for learning about any given issue.
O.S. Miettinen
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Barton J et al (2002) Integrating intellectual property rights and development policy: commission on intellectual property rights. http://www.iprcommission.org/papers/pdfs/final_report/ciprfullfinal.pdf. Accessed Feb 2013
Begg CB, Berlin JA (1989) Publication bias and dissemination of clinical research. J Natl Cancer Inst 81:107–115
Benos DJ et al (2005) Ethics and scientific publication. Adv Physiol Educ 29:59–74
Campbell E, Blumenthal D (2002) The selfish gene: data sharing and withholding in academic genetics. Science Career Magazine, 31st May 2002
Campbell EG et al (2002) Data withholding in academic genetics: evidence from a national survey. JAMA 287:473–480
Campbell EG et al (2007) A national survey of physician-industry relationships. N Engl J Med 356:1742–1750
Chalmers I (1990) Underreporting research is scientific misconduct. JAMA 263:1405–1408
Davidoff F et al (2001) (Commentary) sponsorship, authorship, and accountability. Lancet 358:854–856
Dickersin K, Rennie D (2003) Registering clinical trials. JAMA 290:516–523
Dickersin K et al (2002) Problems with indexing and citation of articles with group authorship. JAMA 287:2772–2774
Easterbrook PJ et al (1991) Publication bias in clinical research. Lancet 337:867–872
Egger M, Smith DG (1998) Meta-analysis bias in location and selection of studies. BMJ 316:61–66
Feeser VR, Simon JR (2008) The ethical assignment of authorship in scientific publications: issues and guidelines. Acad Emerg Med 15:963–969
Flanagin A, Fontanarosa PB, DeAngelis CD (2002) Authorship for research groups. JAMA 288:3166–3168
Haines IE, Olver IN (2008) Are self-regulation and declaration of conflict of interest still the benchmark for relationships between physicians and industry? Med J Aust 89:263–266
Horner J, Minifie FD (2011a) Research ethics II: mentoring, collaboration, peer review, and data management and ownership. J Speech Lang Hear R 54:S330–S345
Horner J, Minifie FD (2011b) Research ethics III: publication practices and authorship, conflicts of interest, and research misconduct. J Speech Lang Hear R 54:S346–S362
Hrynaszkiewicz I et al (2010) Preparing raw clinical data for publication: guidance for journal editors, authors, and peer reviewers. Trials 11:9
Huston P, Moher D (1996) Redundancy, disaggregation, and the integrity of medical research. Lancet 347:1024–1026
ICMJE (2008) Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: ethical considerations in the conduct and reporting of research: authorship and contributorship. http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html. Accessed Feb 2013
JAMA (2006) Instructions for authors. JAMA 295:103–111
Kramer BS et al (2006) Getting it right: being smarter about clinical trials. PLoS Med 3(6):e144
Krimsky S, Rothenberg LS (1998) Financial interest and its disclosure in scientific publications. JAMA 280:225–226
Laflin LT, Glover ED, McDermott RJ (2005) Publication ethics: an examination of authorship practices. Am J Health Behav 29:579–587
Montori VM et al (2000) Publication bias: a brief review for clinicians. Mayo Clin Proc 75:1284–1288
Morin K et al (2002) Managing conflicts of interest in the conduct of clinical trials. JAMA 287:78–84
MRC (2005) MRC ethics series: good research practice. http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC002415. Accessed Feb 2013
Okike K et al (2009) Accuracy of conflict-of-interest disclosures reported by physicians. N Engl J Med 361:1466–1474
Partridge AH, Winer EP (2002) Informing clinical trial participants about study results. JAMA 288:363–365
Perlis RH et al (2005) Industry sponsorship and financial conflict of interest in the reporting of clinical trials in psychiatry. Am J Psychiatry 162:1957–1960
Ross JS, Keyhani S, Korenstein D (2009) Appropriateness of collaborations between industry and the medical profession: physicians’ perceptions. Am J Med 122:955–960
Scholey JM, Harrison J (2003) Publication bias: raising awareness of a potential problem in dental research. Br Dent J 194:235–237
Sterne JAC, Egger M, Davey-Smith G (2001) Systematic reviews in health care: investigating and dealing with publication and other biases in meta-analysis. BMJ 323:101–105
Tekola F et al (2009) Impact of social stigma on the process of obtaining informed consent for genetic research on podoconiosis: a qualitative study. BMC Med Ethics 10:13–22
Teo KK, Yusuf S, Furberg CD (1993) Effects of prophylactic antiarrhythmic drug therapy in acute myocardial infarction: an overview of results from randomized controlled trials. JAMA 270:1589–1595
Thompson DF (1993) Understanding financial conflicts of interest. N Engl J Med 329:573–576
Tumber MB, Dickersin K (2004) Publication of clinical trials: accountability and accessibility. J Int Med 256:271–283
United Nations (1948) The universal declaration of human rights. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml. Accessed Feb 2013
Vickers A et al (1998) Do certain countries produce only positive results? A systematic review of controlled trials. Control Clin Trials 19:159–166
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Keane, E., Van den Broeck, J., Brestoff, J.R. (2013). The Ethics of Study Reporting. In: Van den Broeck, J., Brestoff, J. (eds) Epidemiology: Principles and Practical Guidelines. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5989-3_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5989-3_31
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5988-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5989-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)