TEACHING ETHICS THROUGHOUT THE CURRICULUM

Case 102. Duty to Report Ethical Violations of Others

Situation

Don Cain, a graduate student funded under Professor Nick Manson's research grant, discovers a methodologically trail in a data base leading back to duplication of field surveys which it is difficult to believe occurred accidentally. After questioning fellow students, Cain is persuaded that this is "common" and as a "student assistant" there are very big risks and no gains to raise the question of possible "fabrications" in the data. 

Questions

1. Is the ethical question here, whether the obvious duplication is an accident or intentional? Or is the question what behavior principal should be addressed by the young researcher?
2. Can it make a difference in the responsibility of the researcher in reporting the problem, if the data is accidentally duplicated or deliberately constructed? Known and ignored, if accidental by the responsible senior scientist? Known only by other researchers and not the responsible senior scientist?

Reflect on the above questions and form your own answers before clicking the discussion key to review the commentary provided with this case.