More transparency needed on misconduct

Instances of misconduct stoke public mistrust in the scientific enterprise. Efforts in the United States to decrease inappropriate professional behavior in science have included enhancing institutional accountability. Yet, the moments often missed are those in which academic institutions land in precarious situations because newly hired staff are discovered to have a checkered history. The offending scientist might have quietly resigned from a previous employer during or immediately after a scientific or professional misconduct investigation. Needless to say, the candidate did not share that information with a potential new employer. Things become even more problematic when the new hire repeats bad behaviors, whether it’s research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism) or actions that deviate from professional standards (sexual harassment, bullying, or racist behavior, for example). Creating more awareness of misconduct involving such individuals could go a long way toward rebuilding the scientific community’s credibility.