ABSTRACT
Honesty or integrity is a convention of scientific research and failure to adhere to it is a betrayal of the community of scientists that depends on trust. Research also requires using experimental designs that include controls and exploitation of "falsification" to make research results reliable. The objectives of scientific research are achieved by the pursuit of knowledge—posing problems and asking questions. External goods for the scientist doing research are also legitimate rewards and may include achieving fortune, prestige, promotion, job security, going to meetings, or simply pleasing the boss. Quality control in the research environment can help deal not only with intentional fraudulent practices, but also with sloppy science and unintentional errors. Trust in the integrity of science as an institution, and in the integrity of its practitioners, is thus crucial to policy support, and this is why instances of scientific misconduct have attracted so much congressional and public concern.
