If the concerns persist, the next step is to decide how to lodge the complaint — either anonymously using telephone hotlines found in many institutes, or in person. The decision can be difficult. Hotline calls may protect the whistleblower, but may not lead to a miscon-duct investigation. “Anonymous reports may not allow the university to gather enough credible information to proceed with an investigation,” says Jan Allen, associate dean for PhD programmes at Columbia University in New York.