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SciPoll 598: Recent Study Finds: Researchers Overrate Their Ethical Practices
Do you think this study is representative of the scientific population as whole, or isolated to the study sample?
Results
(103 Answers)
Answer Explanations
- Isolated to study sampleuser-828172Most people regard themselves as being honest. People tend to underplay their unethical actions, and overplay the ethical ones.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-324141Yes, I think this premise is held in most fields.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-996002
This study may indeed be representative of the scientific population as a whole, as it involved a large and diverse sample of over 11,000 Swedish researchers. The size and scope of the study provide a strong foundation for its generalizability to the broader scientific community. Additionally, the findings could spark discussions within the global scientific community about the perception of ethical practices and encourage further research in other countries to compare and contrast these results.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-610902The majority of science still operates under the mirage of being objective and without bias. One almost has to do that to get funding in most cases. As a result, there is a disincentive to look too closely at our own implicit biases and agendas.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-156962People mean well, but they mostly don't investigate their own research from mulitiple angles from which it would be clear that not everything is optimally designed.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-50480My work is focused on comparative neuroendocrinology.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-935064This situation exists most prominently in consultancies. Many consultancies earn a reputation of working only for industry or only against industry. The phenomenon of "dueling scientists" or "dueling experts" illuminates this issue. Within academia, some faculty similarly establish such repuations. One can think back to the so-called tobacco wars funded by industry to launch ad hominem attacks on those who raised health concerns. Descriptors such as sound scinece, junk science, and the like are symtematic of this issue.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-399994I don't think that the behavior of Swedish researchers can be representative of researchers over all the world. This behavior may be correlated to the means every reseracher has and to the average income of each country.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-49719This study sounds biased. There are strong ideological interests (i.e. animal rights groups) financed to prove that scientists are unethical.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-414626This is for journals that I am familiar with.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-169937The findings may be related to the sample size and the type of statistical tools used
- Isolated to study sampleJonFThe study was limited to Swedish researchers and my not reflect the view of other groups and countries.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-293647I think most scientists would consider themselves in the norm. There are guidelines for us to follow. Was this group using enhanced guidelines? I doubt it.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-477679The results mirror those of studies conducted in the general population.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-573537The fact to the sample was restricted by geographical as political criteria, limits its generalization (lack of external validity)
- I cannot answeruser-969170Across the board, the paternalistic stance that supports superiority of both groups as better, more enlightened/morally superior and intellectually above the rest has promoted the “we are above questioning” position that translates to clinical practice. Simple examples are those of neglecting simple hygiene practices such as hand washing which are a token of the white elephant in the room.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-24343Just based on my own experience
- Isolated to study sampleuser-548892This is an isolated case where some people feel they are better than others.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-960566Scientific training across the globe tends to emphasize good research practices and in general, the slippages are rarely malicious or deliberate. Other institutional or operational constraints on the conduct of research and/or socio-cultural norms sometimes conflict with good research practices. This is often only visible to external observers and researchers themselves can view their own work as ethically well-founded.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-508906I did not read the details of the study but I believe there is an overrating of the own and systemic research quality.
... you need to consider approx. 50% of research results cannot be replicated ... due to many reasons. - Representative of scientific populationuser-919443Again, based on over 20 years in academia (as a student, resident, fellow, and attending), I have no doubt that academics view themselves as superior to others. . . however, I think this is a more general human condition (we ALL view ourselves as superior to others) rather than something that is actually specific to academic practice. . .
- Representative of scientific populationuser-9932I am from Brazil and worked in the US and Germany. This problem is regarded as a plague to human beings.
- Isolated to study sampleuser-26379While the study provides valuable insights into the self-perception of researchers in Sweden, it may not be fully representative of the scientific population as a whole. Research cultures and practices can vary across different countries, institutions, and disciplines. The survey's focus on Swedish researchers might limit its generalizability to a broader global context. Therefore, caution should be exercised when applying the study findings universally, and further research across diverse populations is necessary to draw more comprehensive conclusions about the prevalence of bounded ethicality in the scientific community.
- Representative of scientific populationuser-670622My impression of research in Sweden is that there is a push for agreement and to defend analyses/scientific discoveries when they are disseminatsd. There doesn't seem to be a willingness to acknowledge when something is wrong, even when we learn morw about tye subject, and it would be appropriate to re-examine older findings in light of advanced knowledge.
- I cannot answeruser-940435I have no information on the sample size or representation of multiple groups and disciplines
- Representative of scientific populationuser-158216I have no scientific data to support my claim. Based on the experience (which I believe is the objective here) I can say that this a common practice in academia.