Research Integrity and the Value-Free Ideal of Science

In the past two decades, the realization has grown that the phenomenon of scientific misconduct is not limited to a few ill-intentioned scientists – the proverbial ‘rotten apples’. It is now clear that there are also structural causes, and hence that scientific misconduct is intertwined with ‘questionable research practices’ and sloppy science. In response, many of the policy changes have followed a textbook example of professionalization: there has been a big push for researchers to adhere to a code of conduct, and for integrity boards reviewing alleged infractions of the code. Yet what does professionalization precisely mean? Is it appropriate to impose a model of professional self-regulation, similar to that in medicine or law, on scientific research? In this project we aim at understanding what precisely professionalization and professionalism are, and to what extent they are appropriate for scientific research.