Some people behave in a way that is just right. When you see such outstanding examples of integrity, you notice immediately. Be one of these shining examples of integrity in the competitive world of science and research.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. But there is more to it, integrity makes you happy because you act in accordance with your moral values. This gives you a sense of satisfaction and contentment.
Here are some characteristics of an upright scientist. Note that this is merely a guide, and the list is by far not exhaustive.
Show integrity when publishing or presenting
Publishing and presenting research results is an integral part of a scientific career. Due to the competitiveness of both, the basic rules of scientific integrity are sometimes overlooked:
- Acknowledge the contribution of others. This seems easy enough, but it is often not observed. Acknowledging the contribution of others, even if they couldn’t have done it without you, is good practice. It does not take away from your own achievement.
- Consequently, you do not pass off the work of others as your own. Do not do this even if they are your employees, students, etc.
- If you present the work of others, talk to them first. This is basic courtesy.
- If you receive feedback, praise or appreciation for your and your colleagues work, make a point of passing it on to them.
- Design and describe your experiments in a way that others can repeat them. For example, make strains or protocols available to the scientific community. This is sometimes not possible due to technical or intellectual property constrains. But wherever possible describe your experiments in great detail.
Show integrity when reviewing scientific publications
Reviewing scientific publications is a great way to contribute to the scientific community. Because of this, it is all the more necessary to show great integrity as a reviewer.
- Don’t decline the review or approval of a publication because it deals with the same research questions as you. Similarly, don’t decline it because it contradicts your theories.
- You published a few papers in peer-reviewed journals. Afterwards you decided not to pursue a scientific career (read about alternative ways to get an industy job). Do accept the review request of at least a couple of manuscripts. This way you give back to a community, which made publishing your work possible.
- Inform the editor of any conflict of interest or concerns you might have with reviewing the manuscript. Declining the manuscript for reasons other than the work presented is bad practice.
- Make it transparent to the editor which parts of a paper you can evaluate. Some publications are co-operations of very different techniques (read more about successful interdisciplinary teams). Often, not single reviewer can judge every aspect of it well. Be transparent about what you can and what you cannot approve.