Mark Barnes Co-Authored Science Editorial on Need for More Transparency in Scientific Misconduct

Health care partner Mark Barnes co-authored an editorial in Science on the need for additional transparency in scientific misconduct as part of an effort to restore credibility in the national scientific community.

The editorial examines the issue of a faculty member found to have committed research misconduct or other serious misconduct by one institution leaving for another institutional employer that is unaware of that misconduct finding. It notes the disincentive that institutions have to inform prospective of subsequent employing institutions of such serious findings, including fear of liability for defamation and an aversion to taking what could be perceived as adversarial action toward a current or former faculty member.

The authors propose the consideration of creating a confidential national scientist databank similar to that created decades ago for hospitals and medical boards to report practicing physicians who have been subject to professional discipline or loss of hospital privileges based on violations of professional standards.

Under this proposal, research institutions would be expected to report final findings of scientific and professional misconduct and to query the databank before offering employment. Discovering a previous finding of misconduct would not bar an institution from proceeding with the hire, but there would be transparency so that preventive and additional supervisory measures could be planned and undertaken by the new employer.

The article was co-authored by Michael Lauer, M.D., former Deputy Director of Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health.