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Testing an active intervention to deter researchers' use of questionable research practices
S V Bruton1, M Brown2, D F Sacco3
11School of Humanities, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, #5037, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 USA.
Research Integrity and Peer Review
|December 5, 2019
Summary
An ethical consistency intervention did not reduce researchers' endorsement of questionable research practices (QRPs). Exploratory analysis suggested the intervention may have increased rationalization, potentially explaining why research ethics courses have limited impact.
Area of Science:
- Scientific Integrity
- Research Ethics
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Questionable research practices (QRPs) pose a threat to scientific integrity.
- Existing interventions to reduce QRPs have shown limited effectiveness.
- This study investigated a novel "ethical consistency" intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the efficacy of a simple, active ethical consistency intervention in reducing researchers' endorsement of QRPs.
- To compare the intervention's effect against a control condition.
- To explore potential mechanisms underlying the intervention's impact.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 201 researchers (NSF/NIH funded and university-affiliated).
- Participants were assigned to either a 3-5 minute ethical consistency writing task or a control task before completing a QRP survey.
- Quantitative survey data and qualitative narrative responses were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The ethical consistency intervention did not significantly reduce participants' endorsement of QRPs or their willingness to engage in them.
- Exploratory analyses revealed that participants in the control condition reported lower perceptions of QRP defensibility and willingness.
- Narrative responses suggested the intervention may have inadvertently increased rationalization of QRPs.
Conclusions:
- The tested ethical consistency intervention was ineffective in reducing endorsement of QRPs.
- The intervention may have had an unintended consequence of increasing rationalization, potentially explaining the limited impact of Research Conduct and Responsibility (RCR) courses.
- Further research is needed to develop effective strategies for promoting research integrity.
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