After doctors and teachers, scientists belong to the most trusted profession in the US. So the results of a meta-analysis of their honesty is more than a little jarring. In an article in the journal PLoS One, Daniele Fanelli, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh found that about 2% of researchers had "fabricated, falsified or modified data or results at least once" and that up to 34% had admitted other questionable research practices. "Considering that these surveys ask sensitive questions and have other limitations, it appears likely that this is a conservative estimate of the true prevalence of scientific misconduct," he writes.

Even more unsettling for those interested in bioethics, it appears that medical and pharmacological researchers are the worst offenders. This supports growing fears that financial incentives are corrupting biomedical science.

Some peculiar findings emerged from the study. Over the years, more scientists say that they have observed colleagues cheating -- but fewer say that they cheat themselves. How could this be? Dr Fanelli says that there has been much more insistence upon professional integrity in recent years. However," he says wryly, "there is little evidence that researchers trained in recognizing and dealing with scientific misconduct have a lower propensity to commit it." So much for moral progress! ~ PLoS One, May