Research Ethics

The rise of fraudulent papers, exacerbated by AI-assisted technologies, threatens scientific integrity, but new detection tools offer hope.

In nature, microbes fend off their microbial competitors. In the digital world, can AI-detection tools help researchers knock out AI-based research misconduct?

New artificial intelligence tools help scientists fight back against a rising tide of research misconduct, but is it enough?

Algorithms can now glean ever more molecular and genetic information from images of stained tissue, but some researchers worry that we can’t follow their logic.

Research on human embryos is usually limited to the first 14 days of development, but as scientific capabilities improve, some argue that it is time to go further.

Some of the foundational studies in the field were neither ethical by today’s standards nor replicable. But we can do better.

A look at some noteworthy scientists who died this year, leaving behind a legacy of research excellence.

From typo-laden code in psychedelics research to paper mills and plagiarism, we look back on some of the most notable retractions in scientific publishing this year.

A tiny pilot study found that so-called chameleon vines mimicked plastic leaves, but experts say poor study design and conflicts of interest undermine the report.

Taylor, formerly of the University of Louisville, is known for his discovery of and research on tumor-secreted exosomes.  

Cofounders of a microbiome biobank speak with The Scientist about their new partnership with nonprofit OpenBiome and how to ethically work with donors.

For too long, some scientists have acted like Gollums of the ivory tower, guarding precious study sites, model organisms, and even entire fields of inquiry.

German physician and sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld founded a revolutionary clinic where transgender people could receive gender-affirming care, but he left behind a complicated medical and scientific legacy.

An influential paper on amyloid protein and Alzheimer’s disease potentially fabricated data. Why did it take 16 years to flag?

The long-tailed macaque and pig-tailed macaque are now endangered in the wild according to the IUCN Red List, which says exports for monkey research are partially to blame.

The human cells, engineered to respond to blue light, influenced rat behavior when stimulated.

The award highlights tremendous opportunities for aDNA as well as challenges related to rapid growth, equity, and misinformation.

Researchers overseeing the clinical trial for the first FDA-approved oral contraceptive claimed the drug gave the Puerto Rican participants power over their family planning. Critics claimed the women were exploited.

Ancient stashes of animal bones, tools, and other artifacts are often dismissed as archaic garbage heaps, but the deposits provide glimpses of the cultural practices and environmental conditions of past Indigenous settlements.