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International - Activity
Germany, England Responding to Scientific Misconduct Cases
Volume 5, No. 4, September, 1997
Scientific misconduct cases in Germany and England are fueling
efforts to develop research standards and establish policies and
procedures for responding to allegations of misconduct in those
countries.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the main granting
agency in Germany, has decided to establish an international
commission composed of 7-10 prominent scientists to discuss
research standards and scientific oversight procedures that may
be adopted in Germany and internationally, according to Science.
In addition, the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of the
Sciences, the premier scientific research organization in
Germany, is developing new guidelines and procedures for
detecting, assessing, and punishing research fraud, Science
reports. The Max Planck Society has approximately 10,750 staff
members, including about 2,750 scientists in 75 institutes and
research facilities that are supported by the federal and state
governments in Germany.
The German efforts were sparked by a major misconduct case that
involved two investigations, three institutions, at least four
published papers, and four investigative committees. One
respondent has admitted fabricating the data; the other denies
all charges. In another case last year, a German university
withdrew the doctorate in chemistry that it had awarded to a
researcher.
In England, the editors of nine prestigious British medical
journals have formed a Committee on Publication Ethics to help
each other deal with fraudulent papers submitted to their
journals. One editor had four apparent misconduct cases in his
first year. The editors will seek advice from the committee on
how to handle alleged fraud cases. The committee may also draft
guidelines on investigating complaints, promote research into
publication ethics, and provide training in good practice,
according to ScienceNow on the World Wide Web. In 1995, Nature
reported that the Medical Research Council and the Royal College
of Physicians were taking steps to combat scientific misconduct
in medical research in England.
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