Ethical Dilemmas in Scientific Research and Professional Integrity

Welcome to the Georgia CTSA webpage on ethical dilemmas in scientific research and professional integrity. This page presents case scenarios involving responsible conduct in research. Each case is followed by a brief, expert opinion that suggests strategies for resolution.*

View a sample case followed by an expert opinion

We especially hope that these cases can provide useful teaching materials for college or university faculty who present lectures or courses on responsible conduct in research. The cases and expert opinions on this page are intended for instructional use and are copyrighted by Emory University.

Readers interested in submitting a dilemma of their own for possible review, comment, and posting to the website can send their dilemma to Dr. John Banja. The dilemma must relate to research ethics. Submission of a dilemma does not guarantee a review for an expert opinion or posting to the website.

Podcasts

AI, Radiology, and Ethics: A Podcast Series

“AI, Radiology and Ethics” is a podcast series featuring internationally recognized thought leaders commenting on the application of artificial intelligence to the imaging sciences. This series is hosted by Dr. John Banja. Examples of featured podcast topics include:

• How Will Artificial Intelligence Affect the Medical Malpractice Experience in Radiology?
• Bias, Fairness, and Generalizability
• Bias: Confronting the Problem

We Wonder Podcast

• Medical Ethics and AI with John Banja

Ethical Dilemmas

Allocating Credit

• Who Gets the Credit? (PDF)
• But That Was My Idea! (PDF)
• Replacing a First Author on a Second Submission (PDF)
• The Tyrannical Principal Investigator (PDF)
• The Overly Nice Advisor (PDF)
• When the Authors Can't Write English (PDF)

Animal Use

• A Conscientious Objection (PDF)
• Unnecessary Animal Use (PDF)

Authorship

• A Mess of Authors (PDF)
• Author, Author! (PDF)
• But I Don't Want To Be An Author (PDF)
• Deciding First Authorship (PDF)
• I Can't Say No (PDF)
• I Rub Your Back (PDF)
• On First Authorship (PDF)
• Read This, But Don't Tell Anybody (PDF)
• Replacing a First Author on a Second Submission (PDF)
• The Tyrannical Principal Investigator (PDF)
• When the Author Can't Write English (PDF)

Confidentiality

• Breach of Confidentiality (PDF)
• Breach of Confidentiality: A Tissue Donor Identified (PDF)

Conflict of Interest

• Uncertainties and Conflicting Interest in Lung Transplantation (PDF)
• Read This, But Don't Tell Anybody (PDF)
• When the LAR is also the Investigator (PDF)
• When an Investigator Recruits Himself for a Study (PDF)

Data Interpretation and Management

• Data Torturing (PDF)
• Praying Over the Experiment (PDF)
• Let's Not Mention That in the Report (PDF)
• Which Assay to Believe? (PDF)
• He Took His Notebook (PDF)
• Image Manipulation (PDF)
• Patience is a Virtue (PDF)
• An Instance of Data Manipulation (PDF)
• When an Investigator Recruits Himself for a Study (PDF)

Data Representation

• An Instance of Data Manipulation (PDF)
• Data Torturing (PDF)
• Deleting Data Points (PDF)
• Mum's the Word (PDF)

Drug Trials

• Ethical Conduction of an International Pediatric Trial (PDF)
• Expediting Approval (PDF)

Genetics Research

• Should Incidental Findings be Returned? (PDF)

Healthcare Inequities

• Concierge Medicine: Ethically Concerning or a Better Care Model? (PDF)

Informed Consent

• First Poke, Then Hope (PDF)
• The Right to Participate in Research (PDF)
• When the LAR is also the Investigator (PDF)
• Making it Harder to Say No (PDF)
• When an Investigator Recruits Himself for a Study (PDF)
• Can a Patient Edit their Consent Form before Signing? (PDF)

Intellectual Property

• He Took His Notebook (PDF)
• The Tyrannical Principal Investigator (PDF)

Mentoring

• Praying Over the Experiment (PDF)
• The Nutty Professor (PDF)
• Would You Do a Post-Doc with this Guy? (PDF)
• Let's Not Mention That in the Report (PDF)
• Research Misconduct at the High School Level (PDF)
• Who Gets the Credit?
• An Instance of Fraud (PDF)
• Patience is a Virtue
• When the TA Suspects Cheating (PDF)
• A Letter of "Non-Recommendation" (PDF)
• The Overly Nice Advisor (PDF)

Misconduct

• Does the Punishment Fit the Crime? (PDF)
• Handling a Case of Cheating (PDF)
• Mum's the Word (PDF)
• Playing By the Rules: Multiple Abstract Submissions (PDF)
• We're Not Recruiting Enough Participants! (PDF)
• Read This, But Don't Tell Anybody (PDF)
• Let's Not Mention That in the Report (PDF)
• He Took His Notebook (PDF)
• Research Misconduct at the High School Level (PDF)
• An Instance of Fraud (PDF)
• But That Was My Idea! (PDF)
• Image Manipulation (PDF)
• Sabotage (PDF)
• When the TA Suspects Cheating (PDF)
• An Instance of Data Manipulation (PDF)
• The Overly Nice Advisor (PDF)

Participant Recruitment

• Should We Interview Bereaved Parents? (PDF)
• First Poke, Then Hope (PDF)
• We're Not Recruiting Enough Participants! (PDF)
• The Right to Participate in Research (PDF)
• When the Legally Authorized Representative is also the Investigator (PDF)
• Making it Harder to Say No (PDF)
• When an Investigator Recruits Himself for a Study (PDF)
• Should Uninsured Patients be Offered Clinical Trials? (PDF)
• Enrolling One's Own Children in Your Research (PDF)

Protocol Deviation

• Two Protocol Deviations (PDF)

_{*The cases and expert opinions on this website are intended for instructional use and are copyrighted by Emory University. THEY MAY BE REPRODUCED AND FURTHER DISTRIBUTED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, SO LONG AS THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE FULFILLED: (1) APPROPRIATE ATTRIBUTION IS INCLUDED; (2) THE MATERIALS ARE NOT MODIFIED; (3) THE MATERIALS ARE USED ONLY FOR ACADEMIC AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES; AND (4) NO FEE OR OTHER CHARGE IS IMPOSED TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE MATERIALS. ALL OTHER RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO USE THE MATERIALS FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, IS EXPRESSLY RESERVED BY EMORY UNIVERSITY. EMORY UNIVERSITY HOPES THAT THE MATERIALS ON THIS PAGE WILL BE HELPFUL, BUT PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, AND ALL WARRANTIES ARE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED.}