Mike's Notes
For future reference. It can be read freely online.
Resources
- https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/national-academies-release-new-edition-of-widely-used-guide-to-responsible-research
- https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/PGA-POLICY-21-13/publication/29488
- https://doi.org/10.17226/29488
References
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. On Being a Scientist: A Guide to the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research: Fourth Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/29488. 2026. On Being a Scientist: A Guide to the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research: Fourth Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Repository
- Home > Ajabbi Research > Library >
- Home > Handbook >
Last Updated
22/10/2026
On Being a Scientist: A Guide to the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research: Fourth Edition 2026
Megan Lowry: Megan Lowry is Manager, Media Relations, of the Office of News and Public Information at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
...
WASHINGTON — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today released an update of On Being a Scientist: A Guide to the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research. This fourth edition is organized into online, thematic modules, and reflects the evolution of the scientific enterprise since the last version in 2009 by including new topics such as research security and responsible collaboration.
On Being a Scientist introduces students and early-career researchers across disciplines and sectors to the fundamental values that guide responsible research — such as objectivity, honesty, and openness — and explores the increasingly complex research contexts in which they need to be applied. The report was mandated by Congress.
“The research enterprise has changed immensely in recent years because of increasing collaboration, growing global competition, and emerging technologies like AI and CRISPR; these changes offer exciting opportunities for the advancement of science but also raise new ethical questions,” said Michele Masucci, vice chancellor for research and economic development for the University System of Maryland, and co-chair of the committee that developed the guide. “On Being a Scientist is meant to help students and early-career researchers navigate this evolving landscape. We hope the guide will also serve as a framework for responsible research practices for the entire scientific community.”
This guide’s release as online modules rather than as a printed book reflects how users typically access the guide and will make it easier to update going forward. The new edition follows previous printed versions published in 2009, 1995, and 1989.
While directed primarily toward undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and early-career researchers, the guide is also useful for faculty who teach research ethics and for established researchers who mentor people in research activities across range of settings — academic institutions, government agencies and laboratories, and industry.
“The dynamic, ever-shifting research environment makes the basic tenets of responsible science — including rigor, integrity, and transparency — even more critical to the effective functioning of the research enterprise and to maintaining public trust,” said National Academy of Sciences President Neil H. Shubin, who co-authored a preface to the new edition with Tsu-Jae Liu and Monica Bertagnolli, the current presidents of the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, along with the immediate past presidents of the NAS and NAM. “This guide is an essential resource to help set norms for ethical conduct and encourage practices that promote the use of science for societal benefit.”
The guide includes an introduction that offers an overview of responsible research and scientific values, together with the following four modules:
- Collaborating Responsibly provides guidance on collaborating productively across disciplines and institutions, which is increasingly important as the scale and complexity of science grows. This module explores how to enter collaborations intentionally, structure them, manage challenges, and learn from experience.
- Earning and Maintaining Trust focuses on the daily practices and professional commitments that establish trustworthiness; the institutional structures — including policies, cultures, and accountability measures — that support trustworthy science; and trustworthy communication with the public.
- Openness and Security offers guidance on navigating the “productive tension” between openness about methods, materials, and data — which is important to evaluating findings and advancing science — and research security, which protects research from misuse, theft, or unintended harm.
- Responsible Conduct and Stewardship of the Research Process covers the norms and practices of responsible science, such as the judicious use of resources, appropriate oversight and protections for research participants and subjects, prevention of mistakes and negligence, and adherence to norms of ethics and integrity.
“No single resource can fully cover the wide range of situations researchers encounter in their work,” said committee co-chair Alan Leshner, chief executive officer emeritus of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “On Being a Scientist offers an introduction to these issues and ways to think about them. The goal is to help researchers recognize the relevant considerations when they arise, ask the right questions, and know where to look for further guidance.”
The project — undertaken by the Committee on On Being a Scientist: An Online and Updated Guide to the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research — was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
Contact:
Manager, Media Relations
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; email news@nas.edu
No comments:
Post a Comment