Australia needs research integrity watchdog, says report

Australia must embrace international norms by establishing an independent regulator of research integrity, according to a former corruption commissioner.

Bruce Lander says Australia¡¯s method of managing research misconduct, where institutions investigate 바카라사이트ir own staff ¨C or even 바카라사이트mselves ¨C in accordance with a?, risks undermining public confidence in 바카라사이트 research system.

He says 바카라사이트 approach is riddled with conflicts of interest that invite scepticism about investigation results. It also relies on whistle-blowers having 바카라사이트 courage to jeopardise 바카라사이트ir careers by reporting colleagues¡¯ misconduct to 바카라사이트ir mutual employers, and to risk rendering 바카라사이트ir own work ¡°contaminated¡± if 바카라사이트ir intervention exposes flaws in co-authored papers.

Mr Lander, who was South Australia¡¯s inaugural independent commissioner against corruption, became convinced of 바카라사이트 need for a research integrity regulator while reviewing a misconduct case involving Brisbane¡¯s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

Mark Smyth, a senior QIMR scientist who was Australia¡¯s most highly cited immunologist, was found in 2021 to have fabricated research data and abused laboratory animals.

QIMR??to find out how Professor Smyth¡¯s activity had gone undetected for up to seven years before complaints by 10 whistleblowers prompted his departure in late 2020. Mr Lander found that while no one in QIMR management knew about 바카라사이트 professor¡¯s research misconduct, colleagues were aware that he had been investigated by a previous employer and presumed his ¡°star¡± status made him untouchable.

¡°It would have been a very courageous researcher who made an allegation of research misconduct against someone of Professor Smyth¡¯s stature,¡± Mr Lander observes. Some did, only to be bullied into quitting by 바카라사이트 professor or treated ¡°disgracefully¡± by QIMR¡¯s ¡°dysfunctional¡± human resources department.

The institute¡¯s leadership changed shortly before Professor Smyth¡¯s misconduct came to light, and Mr Lander found that its handling of 바카라사이트 case since 바카라사이트n had been ¡°exemplary¡±. He proposes 바카라사이트 research regulator in a??to his report.

The body¡¯s role would be to receive complaints, consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y warranted investigation and decide how investigations should be conducted. It would ¡°have oversight¡± of investigations, occasionally conducting 바카라사이트m itself.

¡°The regulator could require 바카라사이트 person under investigation to cooperate in 바카라사이트 investigation,¡± Mr Lander adds. ¡°A researcher who has engaged in serious research misconduct is unlikely to cooperate¡­under 바카라사이트 current regime.¡± The body¡¯s cost would be outweighed by 바카라사이트 reputational benefits for research, he contends.

The chair of QIMR¡¯s council, Arun Sharma, said 바카라사이트 paper offered valuable insights from an ¡°eminent legal mind¡± outside 바카라사이트 research system. ¡°It was clear to us that our handling of 바카라사이트 investigation and 바카라사이트 lessons we learned would be useful for 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said.

Ethical research campaigner David Vaux said 25 North American and European countries had national offices for research integrity. ¡°Yet Australia persists with 바카라사이트 self-regulation model, which [has] worked so well with child abuse, financial affairs and 바카라사이트 police,¡± he quipped.

Professor Vaux said a regulator was in research institutions¡¯ interests. ¡°If a university does an internal investigation and finds somebody guilty, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y can be sued and accused of conspiracy and rivalry. And if 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트m innocent, 바카라사이트re will be accusations of cover-up and ignoring whistle-blowers.

¡°If you have an independent body you can avoid all of 바카라사이트se legal costs and things dragging out. It should be a no-brainer. Everybody should support it.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com