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International - Activity
Europe, Australia Address Scientific Dishonesty
Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1995
Efforts to address scientific dishonesty are underway in Europe and Australia according to the 1993 Annual Report of the Danish Committee on Scientific Dishonesty (DCSD).
The DCSD was appointed in November 1992 to handle all allegations of scientific dishonesty in Denmark. In 1993, the Committee handled 15 cases, none of which resulted in a finding of scientific dishonesty. However, the cases did reveal "the existence of serious conflicts in certain research environments," the need for a neutral body to clear "researchers of baseless accusations" and the necessity of developing "standards and norms for good scientific conduct."
In Norway, a committee appointed by the Council for Medical Research in 1992 has prepared a briefing that discusses the concept of scientific dishonesty, preventive measures, and a permanent procedure for investigating allegations of scientific dishonesty. The briefing is under review. A conference on research fraud held in October 1993 by the
Swedish Medical Research Council concluded that a Swedish initiative was needed.
Guidelines on research practice prepared by the Finnish National Research Ethics Committee were accepted by all universities and major research institutions in Finland in March 1994.
In 1990, the European Medical Research Council, a subdivision of the European Science Foundation, cited scientific dishonesty as a national problem requiring national solutions. In June 1992, the Council established a Panel on Medical Ethics, which in May 1993,
recommended the establishment of good practice guidelines for use in member countries.
In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council in 1990 published guidelines for good scientific practices that applicant institutions are required to follow. The Council has also published guidelines for dealing with charges of scientific dishonesty.
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