Studied the characteristics of medical school faculty who serve on institutional review boards through a survey of 2,989 faculty members. Findings show that the faculty members who serve on institutional review boards tend to have research experience and knowledge that may inform their board activities, but almost half serve as consultants to…

Summarizes and comments on three presentations relative to the life sciences and medicine given at the October 1995 working symposium of the Project on Conflict of Interest in University-Industry Research Relationships and included in this issue. Discusses the work of medical researcher David Blumenthal, political scientist Mark Frankel, and…

Reviews the status of academic-industry relationships (AIRs) in the life sciences from both ethical and empirical perspectives, identifying ethical issues that have been resolved and those that must still be debated. Concludes that more research is needed on both the positive and negative effects of AIRs, especially in the development of better…

Analyzes Public Health Service (PHS) and National Science Foundation (NSF) funding guidelines that require the enforcement of a written policy on conflicts of interest and disclosure of "significant" financial interests on the part of fundees. Concludes that the PHS and NSF requirements are not sufficient for monitoring the range of…

Examines the impact of financial incentives in university-industry relationships on science and on public perceptions of science and the lack of effective guidelines to cover these relationships. Concludes that scientists and their industry partners should address the issues surrounding their collaborations now rather than waiting for negative…

Discusses the conflicts between for-profit managed care and medical education, noting the shortcomings of both and the need for medical educators to understand the tense history of discord between the two, distinguish between responsible and irresponsible managed care plans, and not assume that they own the moral high ground on health-care issues.…

Incidents of scientists allowing personal or outside interests to cloud their professional judgment in conducting research are alarming and unacceptable. The Association of American Medical Colleges' Ad Hoc Committee on Misconduct and Conflict of Interest in Research offers a conceptual framework and defines institutional and individual…

A survey of 248 University of Kentucky medical school faculty investigated attitudes toward American Medical Association policy concerning gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. Faculty generally agreed with the guidelines but felt gifts did not influence prescribing behaviors. PhD faculty favored more prescriptive policy than did MD faculty.…

An AAMC ad hoc committee on research fraud identified three steps institutions might take to combat fraud in medical research: determination of the magnitude of the problem by a formal study; institution of guidelines for research, publication, and promotion; and establishment of policies for investigating allegations of fraud. (Author/MLW)

The annotated bibliography contains 26 citations of books, monographs, and articles that may be useful to faculty and students in courses on scientific integrity. Topics addressed include ethical and legal considerations, fraud, technical writing and publication, intellectual property, notetaking, case study approach, conflict of interest, and…