Comments on the interactive "The Lab"? Was it harder than you thought? Did it bring some potential ethical issues to your attention that you hadn't previously considered?
What are your concerns, if any, about research ethics? Think about our visits to the Museum of London, the Science Museum, the Old Operating Theater, Wellcome Collection, etc.
When asked to choose a person to follow throughout the interactive module, I chose the graduate student, Kim Park, because I felt that I would be able to relate easiest to her as a female in science. Additionally, she was the youngest option available and I wanted to choose someone who was "low on the totem pole" like many of us are or will be at some point in the future. Although it wasn't difficult to sit there and choose from all of the options laid out by the program, I can imagine how it could all blur together and become overwhelming if I was actually put in that situation myself. Some of my observations were as follows:
ReplyDelete- The decision to take the allegation of publishing incorrect information to higher level authorities was one that Kim had to make personally. Various people gave her both good and bad advice, but it was ultimately her decision in the end.
- Once she made her decision, there was really no turning back. What had been done was irreversible.
- The effects of her decision were severe: she was ostracized at her lab, pushed to switch labs, which meant changing a portion of her dissertation and delaying her graduation.
Overall, this interactive showed me that ethical issues are truly a serious issue. A scientist must decide early on if he/she is going to devote themselves to an ethically honest career. By saving "devote", this means doing what is ethically correct, regardless of potentially destroying relationships, careers, and hurting feelings. "The Lab" definitely presented a realistic scenario that was much more effective than a simple write-up explaining a situation.
I chose Kim Park for my lab as well. While I do not relate to her career goals, I still understand the importance of making ethical decisions in my own career which is teaching. Kim was also closest to my age and rank in school. This lab made me realize how difficult it is to do the right thing at the right time. Sometimes, I made decisions that were not the most beneficial for fighting research misconduct.
ReplyDelete1. I decided to read the article that Greg wrote.
2. I asked Greg about the falsified results. This was the wrong thing to do because it caused tension between us.
3. I met with Ridgely to discuss what I should do.
4. I ended the lab as a leader and helped to keep research misconduct out of the lab.
I had not previously considered that Kim should have only discussed the information with certain people. She should not have discussed the falsified results with coworkers or professors. This information was only to be shared with Ridgeley. Sometimes, it is difficult to keep the information with only the people that need to hear it. As humans, we all have emotional reactions to situations liek this. We feel as though we need to let others know what is going on in our lives even when it may not be best to tell them. Doctors and scientists need to keep this information to themselves, the patients, and the investigators.
I followed the Post Doc experiences of Hardik Rao for my lab. I found this lab very insightful and relatable to my own life as well. The ethical controversies encountered by Hardik in the lab are very similar to situations that I have been or may be faced with at some point in my own life. Some of the dilemmas encountered seemed like there was a very logical explanation or at least that I could narrow it down to two choices. However, some of them (even the ones I had narrowed down), were very difficult. For example, finding the right balance between working in the lab and the relationship with family and one's home life. Also, deciding how to spend time (time management) and finding what is worth taking time out of your day for and what is not. At one point, Hardik is offered his favorite dish in the break room if he were willing to take a break. It was a difficult decision (I chose to take the break) considering his time restraints. He also had times where he had to decide whether to scrap his experiments to make the dinner arrangement with his family or not. I chose to scrap the experiment simply because it seemed like he was overworking himself and I thought it would be important for him to take a break. Ideally, there would've been a better compromise. It was interesting to see how situations that occur frequently in my life can be related to anyone else's as well (be it with school, work, training, etc...) Overall, very insightful.
ReplyDeleteWhen I did this, I chose to be Kim, the grad student. I first chose to read the article, then speak to Greg which didn't work, then talk to the RIO. I ended up being ostracized and having to move labs because I did the right thing, and ended it as a leader. In the beginning, Kim entertained the thought of not doing the right thing, because she would finish later and not have another article published, which would look good on a resume. I feel that even with these drawbacks, I would always do the right thing because it would be something that I would always have to live with, and I would rather finish a year later and know I did the right thing. I feel doing the right thing would also be better in future job searches to show my integrity and use it as an example to show that I will always do the right thing, which is a good quality to have when looking for a job.
ReplyDeleteI played this as Dr. Aaron Hutchins, Principle Investigator. I made my decisions according to what I thought was morally right, and I successfully helped to uncover inaccurate data in a publication from one of my well-respected post docs. The hardest decision to make in The Lab was whether or not to report the suspicious data to the Research Integrity Officer when it was uncovered. Because there was a good chance that the data was completely accurate, it would have been easy to save myself the trouble and look into it myself. Difficult decisions such as these must be made in research labs and universities all the time. I also learned some important information about how to be a good and respectable PI. Although I don't plan on becoming a PI myself, the issues in this interactive made me think about the moral decisions that must be made in the lab, which can apply to any research position. I know that if I work in a research lab in the future, this video will have made me more prepared for the issues that may arise.
ReplyDeleteI chose to to be Dr. Aaron Hutchins, Principle Investigator. This character is described a an ethical leader who is both devoted to the lab and his family. The first decision I was faced with was whether to send a grad student who had been at the lab for 2 days straight home, or to allow him to keep working. I chose to send him home because my characters role as a PI is to maintain the integrity of research, as well as promote the well-being of researchers. The second decision I was whether to meet with another student despite the fact that you were already meeting with another student who's research was more influential and promising. I chose to give equal time to both students. Another decision I was faced with was whether to meet immediately with a student who was considering quitting or to continue working with a student I had already promised a meeting with. I chose to meet with the student who was considering quitting, as that decision was considerably more pressing to the future of the student. Being their for the students in both a research and personal is essential for the PI. One of the most serious decisions I faced in my position is whether to investigate the potentially altered research results of a trusted and respected researcher. I chose to take the matter to the research integrity officer. When making decisions I tried to make one based on what I believed was morally right and upstanding. Success in this field is not solely based off of the research that comes from your lab, but how you manage the affairs of the lab and the extent to which you support your researchers.
ReplyDeleteI chose Dr. Aaron Hutchins, Principle Investigator. When it came time to make my first decision, I chose to send the student home who had been working for over 24 hours because it would not have been acceptable to make him stay. When you are that tired you make careless errors anyway so he might as well get some rest. The next decision I made was to meet with Kim. It is important to give time to the students because the PI should realize that he would not have gotten to where he is without any help. His PI helped him make it through and it is Aaron's job to do the same for his students. He is to guide them and needs to remember that he would not have a lab without them. I also chose to meet with the student who was thinking about leaving. He looked like he was having trouble and was worried about something. The PI should be there to help support the students when he can afford to take a couple of minutes because these students are basically on their own. Finally, I decided to go to research integrity officer to do the right thing. What could have happened to the lab if there would not have been an investigation could have been a lot worse. The integrity of the lab could have been ruined and the PI would have been in trouble for not investigating sooner.
ReplyDeleteI choose to be Kim Park, the grad student. I followed what I thought was the right thing to do and what was ethically right. If I saw research that was falsified, I think that it should be reported. Like in one of our other blogs falsified research can cause a cascade of wrong information and potentially harmful results. I choose to take the time to read the article and take the time to ask and find out what to do about the false information. The result was a good status and life status as a leader. Bringing out the falsified information did not hurt me but actually benefited the lab. If the falsified information was released and published it would not only affect Greg but the whole lab. Life intro video said a lab could be shut down if it really happened. And this truly does happen, there have been papers published that had to be retracted because other researchers tried to duplicate the experiment and the results were not achievable. Like the video said falsifying information is not a good thing to do and I agree. It can make a researcher loose their job or even cause a lab to shut down.
ReplyDeleteI choose to be Kim Park the grad student. I did that I knew to be ethically right. Going through the lab i could see how hard it would be to stick up for something that is right. Originally going through i thought it would be good to talk to greg. Never did i think that he would take my data and alter it helping out his research. I now can see how hard it would be to go and talk to the RIO. Not only would this effect Greg's research but it effects when i would be able to graduate. That makes it a lot harder to come forward. After working so hard to get ahead and then have to change things that is very rough to do. The competion in grad school is intense and i can see how people would be pushed to change things to fit what they would want even though that is not what is ethically right.
ReplyDeleteGina brings up a good point that the lab could get shut down completely if Kim did not speak out and this would set back her research even farther. With this at stake you would think that people would not look down at people who ask questions. If there is nothing to hide then no harm done but because she spoke out she saved not only her degree but countless other as well as some jobs and that goes very un noticed
I chose to be Kim in the lab. I chose her because we were so close in age and I could, in a way, understand her ethical decisions. I really liked that it pointed out that we have to decide to make ethical or not ethical decisions and that these decisions really effect our professional life and relationships. I followed what I believed was the right path for Kim. I would of personally reported any falsified information in order to save the research that has already been done and the final reports of the research. In the end it benefited the lab for me to report this information. You may have to risk doing the right thing, but in the end it is THE tight thing.
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