CONSENSUS STUDY: ON BEING A SCIENTIST - AN UPDATED AND ONLINE GUIDE TO THE RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL CONDUCT OF RESEARCH

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is conducting a consensus study to produce an updated, expanded, and online edition of On Being a Scientist: A Guide to the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research. This new version will build on the 2009 edition to reflect changes in the current national and international research enterprise relevant to the conduct of research and to address professional conduct that limits or harms research talent and research advancement.

The new edition will serve as the go-to resource for an introduction to the responsible and ethical conduct of research for graduate students and early career scholars. This new online-first guide will provide graduate students and earlier career scholars with up-to-date knowledge of the key aspects of the ethical and responsible conduct of research, and thus better prepare them to advance their knowledge and engage in the collaborative, professional work of maintaining the ethical practice of research and trust in the research enterprise.

The National Academies will assemble a committee of experts that will review the literature, speak with experts and community representatives, and prepare the guide. This work will address the significant developments and changes in the practice of research that have come to the forefront since the current edition was published fifteen years ago, including: an increase of collaborative team science and community engaged research; emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and enhanced computing capabilities and their impact on norms of science practice; increased scrutiny of international collaboration and research security practices while balancing open science practices; and greater attention and urgent concern about the effect of toxic and harmful behaviors in the research environment.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.