Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct course of action.

A medical researcher from your university researched his medical paper by using the facilities and lab of a renowned medical college. He has since published the research paper in many national and international forums but has failed to acknowledge the medical college where he did his research, or the senior professor who acted as his mentor during research. The concerned medical college has now written to all the concerned journals (where the research paper was published) and to you to protest the breach of ethics by the researcher. As the Dean of the University, what will be an ethical decision on your part?

  1. Suspend the researcher pending an inquiry into the entire episode.

  2. State that it is at the researcher’s discretion whether or not he wants to acknowledge the place of research and the mentor.

  3. Ask the researcher to furnish a written apology for the oversight.

  4. Wait till the responses from national and international journals come in. If they have no problem, no one else should.

  5. Fine the researcher heavily so that he does not repeat same in future.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Statement III is the ethical way to tackle the situation. Being Dean, the error of non-acknowledgement needs to be rectified. Suspending, imposing a fine or ignoring the situation as given in the rest of the statements is not correct.

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