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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002;123:837-838
© 2002 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Editorials

Responsibilities of investigators

From the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC,^a and the Division of Thoracic Surgery, The Toronto Hospital and Centre for Bioethics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.^b

Accepted for publication Feb 20, 2002. Address for correspondence: Robert M. Sade, MD, 96 Jonathan Lucas St, Suite 409, PO Box 250612, Charleston SC 29425 (E-mail: sader@musc.edu).

	Introduction

 

The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true.

—Albert Einstein (inscribed on the base of the Albert Einstein memorial at the National Academy of Sciences) The success of the scientific enterprise requires first of all that scientists must embody honesty and integrity in every phase of their work. Without the uncompromising integrity of everyone involved in research, the entire edifice of science will eventually collapse, because each new layer of knowledge is built on the accuracy and truth of the research that preceded it.

A great deal has been written in recent years on research integrity, fueled by such highly publicized cases as those involving Thereza Imanishi-Kari and David Baltimore in Boston, ¹ Robert Gallo at the National Institutes of Health, ² and Francis Collins at the Human Genome Project, ³ each accused of transgressions against the ethical and legal norms that guide research. Integrity in science means that the investigators accept responsibility for all aspects of a study, from experimental design through all stages of its execution, including publication. It implies that each of these steps will be carried out with competence and honesty.

Integrity in research cannot be assured by law; it must come from the character of those who carry out research. Nevertheless, medical journals have an important role to play in reminding those who do research of their obligations to science. For example, conflicts of interest arising from financial or other kinds of ties to companies whose products are being studied may be a source of bias in reporting research results. Journals . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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