Unethical Business Research Conduct
The foundation of any research is trust. Professionals, organizations, and the public must be able to trust that research is being reported honestly, accurately, and free from bias. Questionable research misconduct can include poor data management, the failure to share data, questionable data selection methods, inadequate supervision of those conducting the research, and fiscal mismanagement ("Research Misconduct", 2012).
Recently a large case of research fraud was brought against Dr. Kipak K. Das by the University of Connecticut. The allegations of research fraud involve 26 articles published in 11 different journals claiming the health benefits of drinking red wine. According to the article, “University Suspects Fraud by a Researcher Who Studied Red Wine”, the university received anonymous allegations in January 2009 about irregularities in Dr. Das’ research. An investigation into Das’ research articles revealed 145 instances of fabrication and falsification of data (Wade, 2012). Allegations received by the university reference lab members manipulating figures, often at the request of Dr. Das, and digitally manipulating the experiments (western-blot images) done in the studies.
The fabrication and falsification of the research data will have a negative impact on Dr. Das’ reputation as a respectable doctor, could tarnish the name of the University of Connecticut, could harm those that rely upon this research data, and could also discredit the federal government in how they distribute grant money. Since Dr. Das was receiving federal grant money for his research he risks severe punishment that could have life-long damage to his career. The acts of Dr. Das violate the guidelines of the US Federal Government (45 CFR 689) and could result in imposed sanctions including debarment from receipt of future federal funding for 3 to 5 years and potentially for life ("Research Misconduct", 2012). According to (45 CFR 689) fabrication is defined as the making up of data and reporting it as such. Falsification is the manipulation of research materials, equipment, processes, and the omission of data so the results are not accurately reported. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another’s ideas or processes without giving them appropriate credit. These acts can result in debarment from future funding. Actions such as those of Dr. Das also threaten public trust in research and cause other researchers to lose credibility.
Ethical research conduct is important for several key reasons. Ethical conduct helps to ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the public, especially in cases where federal grant money is involved. Ethical conduct also helps to build public support. Individuals are more likely to fund research projects if they can trust the quality and reliability of the data. Honest research conduct promotes the goals of the research and aims to provide knowledge and the avoidance of errors.
The research misconduct of Dr. Das could have been prevented by better management and oversight. The University of Connecticut should require the oversight and aid of more than one credible researcher to validate the data and findings. Allowing Dr. Das to be the main researcher and allowing him to publish research findings without scrutiny or verification of facts can cause irreparable damage to the reputation of the university. To avoid future instances such as this, the university should make it standard practice to require oversight and verification of all findings, participation by multiple individuals, and random audits of the research results. Removing complete control of the data and research findings from one individual will greatly reduce the likelihood of unethical research misconduct. In the case of Dr. Das only certain members of the lab conducted work and data analysis, while others performed different tasks. This compartmentalization of tasks can increase the opportunity for unethical research misconduct.
Research is a vital function of many professions and organizations. Individuals tasked with performing research need to be cautious about performing the duties in an ethical manner. The facts must be reported as found, even when it does not show the desired results. Researchers that choose unethical courses of action not only jeopardize their credibility, but they also stand to lose their position, harm the reputation of the company employing them, and could even face penalties from the federal government in cases involving federal grant money. The goal of research is to provide meaningful data to management to make business decisions. By acting in an unethical fashion, management could be making incorrect decisions based upon the fraudulently reported findings. This not only harms everyone involved but it also loses public support and confidence.

References
Research Misconduct. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.research.psu.edu/training/sari/teaching-support/research-misconduct-1 Wade, N. (2012). University Suspects Fraud by a Researcher Who Studied Red Wine. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/science/fraud-charges-for-dipak-k-das-a-
university-of-connecticut-researcher.html?_r=0