From: 23x11.5c@gmail.com   
      
   J Res Med Sci. Nov 2012; 17(11): 1077-1081.   
   PMCID: PMC3702092   
      
   Fraud and deceit in medical research   
   Umran Sarwar and Marios Nicolaou1   
      
   This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.   
      
      
      
   Abstract   
   Publication of medical research is the cornerstone for the propagation and   
   dissemination of medical knowledge, culminating in significant effects on the   
   health of the world's population. However, instances of individuals and   
   institutions subverting the    
   ethos of honesty and integrity on which medical research is built in order to   
   advance personal ambitions have been well documented. Many definitions to   
   describe this unethical behavior have been postulated, although the most   
   descriptive is the "FFP" (   
   fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism) model put forward by the United   
   States' Office of Research Integrity. Research misconduct has many   
   ramifications of which the world's media are all too keen to demonstrate. Many   
   high-profile cases the world    
   over have demonstrated this lack of ethics when performing medical research.   
   Many esteemed professionals and highly regarded world institutions have   
   succumbed to the ambitions of a few, who for personal gains, have behaved   
   unethically in pursuit of their    
   own ideals. Although institutions have been set up to directly confront these   
   issues, it would appear that a lot more is still required on the part of   
   journals and their editors to combat this behavioral pattern. Individuals   
   starting out at very junior    
   positions in medical research ought to be taught the basics of medical   
   research ethics so that populations are not failed by the very people they are   
   turning to for assistance at times of need. This article provides a review of   
   many of the issues of    
   research misconduct and allows the reader to reflect and think through their   
   own experiences of research. This hopefully will allow individuals to start   
   asking questions on, what is an often, a poorly discussed topic in medical   
   research.   
      
   Keywords: Ethics, fraud, plagiarism, research, scientific misconduct, United   
   States' office of Research Integrity   
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   INTRODUCTION   
   Medical research is the cornerstone of scientific research. It has the   
   potential to engender a better state of physical and psychological health.   
   Therefore, it is imperative that medical research is genuine and free from   
   bias. When conducting medical    
   research, one must abide by the ethical and moral obligations as outlined by   
   the Nuremberg code in 1947[1] and the subsequent Declaration of Helsinki 1964   
   (and later revised in 2002),[2,3] which explain the responsibilities of   
   scientists and physicians    
   when conducting medical research on humans. However, despite the morality   
   underpinning medical research, scientific research has a long history of fraud   
   and deception,[4,5,6] with this behavior adversely affecting the very lives   
   researchers are seeking    
   to help.   
      
   Additionally, the seriousness of fraud in the biological sciences - science   
   directly influencing the physical and psychological well-being of the   
   individual - should also be acknowledged. As a result of the implementation of   
   detection policies and the    
   management of misconduct cases by regulatory bodies, who have seen an   
   unprecedented increase in misconduct cases, the prevalence of fraud and deceit   
   has become increasingly documented within research circles.[7] In recognition   
   of the seriousness of the    
   situation, multiple organizations have been created to deal with the problem.   
      
   However, despite the publication of cases in the media and in working sessions   
   of regulatory governing bodies throughout the world,[8,9,10,11,12] fraud and   
   deception in medical research has often been underreported. One reason for   
   this could be the fact    
   that there is no standard definition of what constitutes scientific   
   deception,[5] making it more difficult to identify cases and prevent it from   
   continuing. In order to fully understand this, we must discuss the definitions   
   available to us.   
      
   Go to:   
   RESEARCH MISCONDUCT   
   The Oxford English Dictionary describes fraud as "wrongful or criminal   
   deception intended to result in financial or personal gain" and deceit as "the   
   action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the   
   truth."[13] Research    
   organizations and the literature have defined these behavioral patterns within   
   the umbrella title of "Research Misconduct."[14]   
      
   An array of definitions is used to define research misconduct within the   
   literature depending on the country in which they originate. Given the   
   international nature of publications and research, and the cross-fertilization   
   of research across continents,    
   through departmental and institutional collaboration in the 21st century, it   
   is surprising that a single global definition is yet to be utilized.[14]   
      
   From the United Kingdom (UK) perspective, following much impetus for change by   
   Stephen Lock,[15] in 1999, The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh hosted   
   the Consensus Conference on Misconduct in Biomedical Research, which aimed to   
   address the issues    
   in research misconduct.[16] Their definition was the broadest yet from the UK   
   and was stated as: "Behaviour by a researcher, intentional or not, that falls   
   short of good ethical and scientific standard." The UK Committee on Public   
   Ethics (COPE) describes    
   misconduct as the "intention to cause others to regard as true that which is   
   not true."[17] Additionally, the United States of America's key regulatory   
   body, the Office of Research Integrity (ORI), defines research misconduct   
   using the FFP model, i.e.    
   the serious aspects of misconduct. These include:[18,19]   
      
   Fabrication - Making up data or results and recording or reporting them.   
   Falsification - Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or   
   changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately   
   represented in the research record.   
   Person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.   
   Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion   
      
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