“Scientific Integrity” and EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy
EPA will soon require
an unspecified number of staff members to take an on-line training course intended
to familiarize them with its Scientific Integrity Policy. NTEU280, in an effort to educate its
bargaining unit on the Policy’s laudable, as well as worrisome, elements, is
initiating this blog series.
Today’s blog entry begins
with the most basic of questions – what
is “scientific integrity”?
A succinct answer to this question cannot be found in the
Policy, the Principles of Scientific Integrity [1] upon which it was developed, in President Obama’s March 9, 2009 scientific integrity “kick-off” memo [2], or in the December 17, 2010 Office of Science and Technology Policy [3] memo on the subject of President
Obama’s memo, although each document describes elements relating to what might
go into a definition of “scientific integrity."
A good working definition for our purposes of
“science” might be “knowledge about or study of the natural world based on
facts learned through experiments and observation" [4].
So what about “integrity”? Here are a couple definitions [5]: "integrity" may be defined as “the quality of being honest and fair”; “the state of being complete or whole”
So what about “integrity”? Here are a couple definitions [5]: "integrity" may be defined as “the quality of being honest and fair”; “the state of being complete or whole”
Combining the two definitions for the two words, we might have the following working definition for “scientific integrity":
Scientific Integrity: knowledge or study of
the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation, and
which are arrived at, and represented, in an honest and fair manner.
Questions for our readers
- What do you think of the proposed definition for “scientific integrity”? Any suggestions of your own?
- Do you think that the Venn diagram below captures all of the elements and interrelationships of “scientific integrity”? If it falls short, what do you think is amiss?
- How does personal character come into play in scientific integrity? Are there other qualities or devices that might be critical to the integrity of an organization’s science? What do you think those are?
[Carleton
University, Department of Psychology, Ottawa, ON, Canada. http://www2.carleton.ca/psychology/ethics/ - Accessed 09.22.2013]]
Stay tuned for more!
[1]
USEPA. National Labor Partnership. EPA’s Principles
of Scientific Integrity.
(Release/publication date not noted)
[2]
Obama, Barack. White House. Press Release.
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies. Subject: Scientific Integrity. March 9, 2009.
[3] Holdren,
John P. Office of Science and
Technology. Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies. Subject:
Scientific Integrity.
December 17, 2010.
[4] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science
[Accessed 09.22.2013]
