Abstract Reports of research fraud have raised concerns about research integrity
similar to concerns raised about financial accounting fraud. We propose a departure
from self-regulation in that researchers adopt the financial accounting approach in
establishing trust through an external validation process, in addition to the reporting
entities and the regulatory agencies. The general conceptual framework for
reviewing financial reports, utilizes external auditors who are certified and objective
in using established standards to provide an opinion on the financial reports. These
standards have become both broader in scope and increasingly specific as to what
information is reported and the methodologies to be employed. We believe that the
financial reporting overhaul encompassed in the US Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002,
which aims at preventing accounting fraud, can be applied to scientific research in 4
ways.
Second, corporations are required to have the chief financial officer
certify the accuracy of their financial statements. In a similar way, each research
organization should have their vice-president of research (or equivalent) certify the
research integrity of their research activities. In contrast, the primary responsibility
of the existing Research Integrity Officers is to handle allegations of research
misconduct, an after-the-fact activity. Third, generally accepted auditing standards
specify the appropriate procedures for external review of a corporation’s financial
statements. For similar reasons, the research review process would also require
corresponding external auditing standards. Finally, these new requirements would
be implemented in stages, with the largest 14 research organizations that receive
25% of the total National Institutes of Health funding, adopting these research
oversight enhancements first.