Responsible Conduct of Research

A research collaboration can be enhanced by: - a. Avoiding the issue of which journal to target since research team members might disagree - b. Limiting the communication between researchers and industry partners - c. Waiting to discuss authorship issues until after data collection - d. Discussing intellectual property issues while the collaboration is forming

d. Discussing intellectual property issues while the collaboration is forming

Which of the following most accurately describes good mentoring practice? - a. Informing trainees that faculty are the only individuals who have enough experience to serve as mentors - b. Informing trainees that they must rely on their adviser for all mentoring - c. Avoiding being a mentor unless one works in the same research field as a trainee - d. Encouraging trainees to receive mentoring from a collection of individuals

d. Encouraging trainees to receive mentoring from a collection of individuals

Which of the following is the primary criterion for authorship? - a. Obtaining financial support for the work - b. Having read a draft of the manuscript before it is published - c. Correcting grammatical mistakes in the manuscript - d. Having made a significant intellectual contribution to the work

d. Having made a significant intellectual contribution to the work

Which of the following statements is true regarding the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) guidelines? - a. Acquiring funding for a research project is sufficient to warrant authorship - b. The first author is the only person who is held publicly responsible for the contents of the paper - c. Conducting the technical aspects of the research is sufficient to warrant authorship - d. Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship but who have made a noteworthy contribution are normally listed in the acknowledgements sections

d. Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship but who have made a noteworthy contribution are normally listed in the acknowledgements sections

The two main criteria that the National Science Foundation (NSF) uses to evaluate grant proposals are: - a. Ethical integrity and legal compliance - b. Sustainability and innovation - c. Quality and quantity - d. Intellectual merit and broader impact

d. Intellectual merit and broader impact

An idea is most likely to represent "common knowledge" if: - a. The idea has been around for more than a decade - b. It can be readily obtained in an encyclopedia - c. The idea has already appeared in a published work - d. It can be safely assumed that the readers and the author are both thoroughly familiar with the idea and its source

d. It can be safely assumed that the readers and the author are both thoroughly familiar with the idea and its source

Unless the subject matter is considered common knowledge, citations are necessary when writing about: - a. Your own earlier published ideas, but not your earlier published data or methodologies - b. Methodologies but not data - c. Ideas but not data - d. Ideas, methodologies, or data from other authors and also your own previously published ideas, methodologies, or data

d. Ideas, methodologies, or data from other authors and also your own previously published ideas, methodologies, or data

Which statement best describes the role of an IRB: - a. A committee that reviews different types of human subjects research - b. A committee that reviews all biomedical research - c. A committee that reviews all types of research - d. A committee that reviews an institution's conflict of interest policies

a. A committee that reviews different types of human subjects research

A reviewer's main responsibility is to: - a. Behave professionally - b. Be friendly - c. Contact the authors when the review is completed - d. Avoid criticizing the work of other researchers

a. Behave professionally

Which of the following statements most clearly illustrates the principle of beneficence? - a. Determining whether the benefits of a study outweigh the risks - b. Obtaining the subject's consent to participate - c. Providing detailed information about the study - d. Making sure that the selection of subjects includes people from all segments of the population

a. Determining whether the benefits of a study outweigh the risks

The main focus of NIH's conflict of interest policy is: - a. Financial conflicts of interest - b. Personal conflicts of interest - c. Conflicts of conscience - d. Academic conflicts of interest

a. Financial conflicts of interest

According to U.S. Federal Research Misconduct Policy, which of the following is considered to be research misconduct? - a. Plagiarism - b. Harassing a co-worker - c. Gift authorship - d. Conflict of interest

a. Plagiarism

Which of the following most accurately describes U.S. federal policy related to RCR instruction? - a. Some federal agencies have RCR policies but they differ in terms of the particular format of training that is required - b. No federal agencies require RCR training for the grants that they fund; the training is optional - c. Only those federal agencies that support biomedical research require RCR training - d. All federal agencies are required to have an RCR policy related to grants that they fund

a. Some federal agencies have RCR policies but they differ in terms of the particular format of training that is required

Which of the following is the most appropriate step to take if authors believe that their manuscript was reviewed unfairly? - a. The author can contact the editor with their concerns - b. The author should ask the editor to reveal the identities of the reviewers - c. The author should contact the reviewers directly - d. Nothing; by submitting to the peer review process, authors agree to accept the outcome

a. The author can contact the editor with their concerns

Which of the following most accurately describes the responsibilities of a trainee in the mentoring relationship? - a. The trainee must take an active role in the relationship and clearly communicate needs and expectations - b. The trainee is too junior to have any responsibilities in the mentoring relationship - c. The trainee's primary role is to avoid seeking the mentor's advice in order to grow as a researcher

a. The trainee must take an active role in the relationship and clearly communicate needs and expectations

What is the primary responsibility of oversight bodies (such as an IRB or IACUC)? - a. To determine compliance with regulatory requirements, including those relating to protecting research subjects - b. To determine if authorship credit has been correctly specified - c. To ensure that a study is methodologically and technically sound - d. To assess whether the research team has completed data management training

a. To determine compliance with regulatory requirements, including those relating to protecting research subjects

In the research context, the term validity most commonly refers to: - a. Whether operationalized terms actually measure what they purport to measure - b. Whether funding has been obtained for the project - c. Whether a project has been approved by an oversight board - d. Whether a project is worth pursuing

a. Whether operationalized terms actually measure what they purport to measure

Which of the following is true regarding research misconduct? - a. The U.S. government is required to reveal publicly the identity of any person who commits misconduct - b. Federal funding agencies typically rely on an institution to make the initial response to an allegation of research misconduct - c. Funding agencies normally perform their own misconduct inquiry before the institution becomes involved - d. A central federal agency handles all cases of research misconduct

b. Federal funding agencies typically rely on an institution to make the initial response to an allegation of research misconduct

Which of the following most accurately describes a conflict of commitment? - a. It occurs when a researcher is not sure whether to renew a contract with an employer - b. It occurs when outside activities interfere with obligations to one's primary employer - c. It occurs when an individual allows personal beliefs to interfere with objectivity - d. It occurs when researchers have a financial interest related to their research

b. It occurs when outside activities interfere with obligations to one's primary employer

Which of the following represents plagiarism? - a. Listing someone as an author who did not actually contribute to the publication - b. Presenting someone else's ideas or words and claiming them as one's own - c. Selectively presenting data that support the key findings of a paper - d. Failing to report all of a study's conditions

b. Presenting someone else's ideas or words and claiming them as one's own

Reviewers have a responsibility to promote ethical peer review by: - a. Revealing their identity to the authors of the manuscript or grant proposal - b. Preserving the confidentiality of the submission - c. Using the information contained in a reviewed manuscript to further their own research - d. Seeking the help of others in the research team to perform the review

b. Preserving the confidentiality of the submission

Which of the following is most directly related to successful mentoring? - a. A working relationship in which the mentor harshly criticizes the trainee's work - b. Someone who is committed to the professional development of the trainee - c. The absence of boundaries in the mentor-trainee relationship - d. A passive mentoring relationship on the part of the trainee

b. Someone who is committed to the professional development of the trainee

Which of the following is true regarding an acknowledgments sections? - a. An acknowledgments sections is necessary for disclosing if research is supported by federal funds, but the section is not necessary if a corporate sponsor supports research - b. The contributions of technicians and other researchers are often listed in the acknowledgments section if they do not meet all of the criteria for authorship - c. It is the norm that individuals should not be asked whether they want to be listed in the acknowledgments sections - d. Journals typically request that the person who provides financial support for the research be listed as an author instead of being listed in the acknowledgments sections

b. The contributions of technicians and other researchers are often listed in the acknowledgments section if they do not meet all of the criteria for authorship

Which of the following is most likely to own the data resulting from a research project? - a. A faculty member working on a federally-funded project - b. The organization that receives federal funding for a project - c. A technician who collected the data - d. A graduate student working under the direction of a faculty member

b. The organization that receives federal funding for a project

What is the most appropriate process for research collaborators to use in determining which journal they should submit their work to? - a. Submit the work to several journals that represent the interests of all the authors - b. The research team should discuss the issue early on and while the project is ongoing - c. It is appropriate to submit the work to any peer-reviewed journal - d. Obtain advice from the Technology Transfer Office

b. The research team should discuss the issue early on and while the project is ongoing

As a first step, what must be done before enrolling a young child in a research protocol? - a. The child must be given an incentive for participating - b. The risks and benefits must be explained to the child's parents or legally authorized representative - c. Federal regulations do not allow children to be enrolled in research - d. The risks and benefits have to be explained to the child

b. The risks and benefits must be explained to the child's parents or legally authorized representative

Which of the following best describes when a protocol may be eligible for expedited review by the IRB? - a. The study includes only healthy research subjects - b. The study involves no more than minimal risk and meets one of the allowable categories of expedited review specified by the federal government - c. The study is required for a student research project - d. The study does not require written consent

b. The study involves no more than minimal risk and meets one of the allowable categories of expedited review specified by the federal government

Proper paraphrasing of a sentence written by someone else may be accomplished by: - a. Changing present tense to past tense or changing from active to passive voice - b. Using your own words and writing voice to express the idea conveyed in the sentence - c. Changing a sentence's subject and predicate around - d. Removing the first word and last word and inserting two or three words elsewhere

b. Using your own words and writing voice to express the idea conveyed in the sentence

If a friendship with an applicant could interfere with a hiring decision, this is typically referred to as: - a. An institutional conflict of interest - b. A financial conflict of interest - c. A personal conflict of interest - d. Research misconduct

c. A personal conflict of interest

Which of the following is true about conflicts of interest? - a. A project must be funded by an external source in order for any conflicts of interest to be present - b. Researchers are not permitted to have any conflicts of interest - c. Conflicts of interest increase the likelihood of bias - d. A financial dimension must be present in order for it to be a conflict of interest

c. Conflicts of interest increase the likelihood of bias

Which of the following most accurately describes an institutional conflict of interest - a. It occurs when two or more departments within a college are competing for the same research funding - b. It occurs when two or more institutions are competing for the same research funding - c. It occurs when an institution's financial or non-financial interests could interfere with its research activities - d. It occurs when two or more researchers within a department are competing for the same research funding

c. It occurs when an institution's financial or non-financial interests could interfere with its research activities

Which of the following situations is most likely to constitute an instance of plagiarism? - a. Summarizing a published article in a short paragraph, adding a citation, and including this in a paper - b. Taking a paragraph word-for-word, enclosing it in quotation marks, adding a citation, and including this in a paper - c. Summarizing a published article in 2-3 distinct paragraphs and including this in a paper - d. Thoroughly paraphrasing a paragraph, adding a citation, and including this in a paper

c. Summarizing a published article in 2-3 distinct paragraphs and including this in a paper

Which of the following is a key reason why international collaborations can be challenging - a. There are currently no international ethical guidelines for research - b. Federal agencies are not permitted to encourage international collaborations - c. The collaborators may have different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds and practices - d. International collaboration is rare and is on the decline

c. The collaborators may have different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds and practices

The typical first main phase in response to a research misconduct allegation is called: - a. Remediation - b. The adjudication - c. The inquiry - d. The audit

c. The inquiry

In any collaboration, data ownership is typically determined by: - a. The individual who does the most work on the project - b. The research team with access to the best lawyers - c. The type and source of funds used to support the project - d. The relevant department chairs

c. The type and source of funds used to support the project

According to federal research misconduct policies, what is the maximum number of consecutive words that one can use before it is classified as an instance of plagiarism? - a. 14 - b. 5 - c. There is no official, federal standard for the number of consecutive words that can be used - d. 7

c. There is no official, federal standard for the number of consecutive words that can be used

Which of the following is true regarding the U.S. Federal Research Misconduct Policy? - a. The standard of innocent until proven guilty does not apply in misconduct cases - b. The Policy covers conflicts of interest and the misuse of grant funding - c. To have a misconduct finding, the action must have been committed intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly - d. Misconduct must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt

c. To have a misconduct finding, the action must have been committed intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly

Which of the following statements is true regarding the regulations that govern research? - a. International research is governed by the United Nations instead of any specific country's regulations - b. The research of an international graduate student enrolled at a U.S. university is not governed by U.S. regulations unless the student plans to publish the results - c. U.S. funded research collaborations are often governed by U.S. regulations no matter where the research takes place - d. International research collaborations involving U.S. funded researchers are not governed by U.S. regulations when the work takes place at a private university

c. U.S. funded research collaborations are often governed by U.S. regulations no matter where the research takes place

Which of the following is true regarding the traditional peer-review process: - a. Under double-blind review, the identity of the reviewer is revealed to the author - b. Under single-blind review, the identity of the reviewer is revealed to the author - c. Under single-blind review, the identity of the author is revealed to the reviewer - d. Under double-blind review, the identity of the author is revealed to the reviewer

c. Under single-blind review, the identity of the author is revealed to the reviewer

Which statement best describes information that must be included in a consent form? - a. A copy of the researcher's grant proposal - b. A description of where the research may be published - c. A literature review - d. A description of the research's potential benefits and risks

d. A description of the research's potential benefits and risks

Which of the following is true regarding the reporting of research results? - a. Details of data selection procedures should be omitted from publications unless requested - b. A delay in reporting research results is not allowed by the U.S. government - c. Details of study design and execution should be omitted from publications unless requested - d. Clear specification of the methods and procedures used is essential

d. Clear specification of the methods and procedures used is essential

Which of the following most accurately describes data lifecycle management (DLM)? - a. It refers to the obligation to share data imposed by professional journals - b. It refers to the obligation to uphold data confidentiality imposed by federal law - c. It refers to the data collection requirements of a particular organization - d. It refers to the tools and processes for handling data during a research study and after it concludes

d. It refers to the tools and processes for handling data during a research study and after it concludes

According to the U.S. Federal Research Misconduct Policy, fabrication involves: - a. Failing to list a collaborator as an author - b. Mismanaging research funds - c. Using another person's ideas or words without giving appropriate credit - d. Making up data or results and recording or reporting them

d. Making up data or results and recording or reporting them

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the mentoring relationship? - a. A mentoring relationship must not turn into a friendship or else it is a failure - b. Mentoring relationships happen naturally and do not require work - c. Graduate students, but not mentors, gain from the mentoring relationship - d. Mentors teach trainees about aspects of academic life that are not covered in textbooks

d. Mentors teach trainees about aspects of academic life that are not covered in textbooks

The defining characteristic of a mentor is someone who: - a. Pays for a trainee's research projects - b. Advises a trainee on which academic courses to take - c. Advises a trainee on how to complete paperwork for graduation - d. Takes a sincere interest in the growth and development of a trainee

d. Takes a sincere interest in the growth and development of a trainee

Which author is normally responsible for sharing reprints of a publication with readers? - a. The first author - b. The last author - c. The author who has made the most significant contribution - d. The corresponding author

d. The corresponding author

Within the context of RCR, social responsibility primarily refers to: - a. The obligation to be collegial to coworkers - b. The obligation to participate in political activities, such as running for government office - c. The obligation to share data with other researchers in a timely manner - d. The obligation to design technology or acquire information in ways that take into account what effects those actions may have on society

d. The obligation to design technology or acquire information in ways that take into account what effects those actions may have on society

Which of the following most accurately describes the main goal of RCR education and training? - a. To teach researchers about technical methods and laboratory techniques - b. To provide guidance regarding how grant funding may be spent - c. To increase funding for scientific research - d. To promote greater awareness of proper research practice and research ethics

d. To promote greater awareness of proper research practice and research ethics