Watch the video and read the two articles about the ethical issues that can and do arise in research that is publicly shared

Watch the video and read the two articles about the ethical issues that can and do arise in research that is publicly shared. The last link is to a website called "Retraction Watch." This website consists of a searchable database on research in all disciplines that has been retracted due to fraud (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism), as well as other types of ethical misconduct.

What A Massive Database of Retracted Papers Reveals about Science Publishing's 'Death Penalty' (Links to an external site.)

Viewpoint: Why So Many Scientific Studies Are Flawed and Poorly Understood (Links to an external site.)

Retraction Watch (Links to an external site.)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Let’s start this discussion with your opinion. If publishing research results is a form of advertising, as mentioned in the video, does the responsibility of researchers end once they have published their findings?  

Using the Reaction Watch database, identify a study that has been retracted within your discipline recently. Summarize the ethical misconduct - in other words, why the study was retracted. What was the potential harm that the findings could have or resulted in? ?Did the author(s) face any consequences?  

When responding to your peers, discuss your concerns with their studies and the potential implications. Discuss how we can prevent faulty studies from being published, or should we not interfere and leave it up to the consumers who are potentially going to utilize those findings?  Who is at fault, the researcher or the consumer?

Your initial post is due by Thursday at 11:59 PM ET during the first week of the module. In addition, you are required to make 3 response posts on at least two different days following your initial post (i.e., you will need to be actively engaged in the discussion on three different days over the course of the two weeks). All response posts are due by Sunday of the second week at 11:59 PM ET.

All discussions combined are 25% of your final course grade.