At Penn State University research integrity is a critical ingredient in any research program. The Schloarship and Research Integrity (SARI) program was launched in fall 2009 to provide graduate students with opportunities to identify, examine, and discuss ethical issues relevant to their disciplines. This program was expanded in 2011 to include faculty, postdoctoral fellows as well as undergraduate students - essentially all individuals that are involved in research that takes place at Penn State.

The SARI @PSU program is composed of two parts: an online course, and an interactive, discussion-based component; and encompasses content that is both interdisciplinary and discipline-specific. The online portion (Part 1), offered through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), provides a common language and understanding of the history and principles of the responsible conduct of research. The discussion-based component (Part 2) provides an opportunity for in-depth exploration of important issues unique to each field of study.

The Penn State Values are guidelines (not rules) that provide a set of values to help students make ethical choices in their daily lives.  Each Value is founded on academic values essential to the maintenance and flourishing of the Penn State community.

The Penn State Values

The Pennsylvania State University is a community dedicated to personal and academic excellence. The Penn State Values were developed to embody the values that we hope our students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni possess. At the same time, the University is strongly committed to freedom of expression. Consequently, these Values do not constitute University policy and are not intended to interfere in any way with an individual’s academic or personal freedoms. We hope, however, that individuals will voluntarily endorse these common principles, thereby contributing to the traditions and scholarly heritage left by those who preceded them, and will thus leave Penn State a better place for those who follow.

• Integrity
  We act with integrity and honesty in accordance with the highest academic, professional, and ethical standards.
• Respect
  We respect and honor the dignity of each person, embrace civil discourse, and foster a diverse and inclusive community.
• Responsibility
  We act responsibly, and we are accountable for our decisions, actions, and their consequences.
• Discovery
  We seek and create new knowledge and understanding, and foster creativity and innovation, for the benefit of our communities, society, and the environment.
• Excellence
  We strive for excellence in all our endeavors as individuals, an institution, and a leader in higher education.
• Community
  We work together for the betterment of our University, the communities we serve, and the world.

American Statistical Association's Committee on Professional Ethics published the following:

Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice

From their website:

The Ethical Guidelines address eight general topic areas and specify important ethical considerations under each topic.

1. Professionalism points out the need for competence, judgment, diligence, self-respect, and worthiness of the respect of other people.


2. Responsibilities to Funders, Clients, and Employers discusses the practitioner's responsibility for assuring that statistical work is suitable to the needs and resources of those who are paying for it, that funders understand the capabilities and limitations of statistics in addressing their problem, and that the funder's confidential information is protected.


3. Responsibilities in Publications and Testimony addresses the need to report sufficient information to give readers, including other practitioners, a clear understanding of the intent of the work, how and by whom it was performed, and any limitations on its validity.


4. Responsibilities to Research Subjects describes requirements for protecting the interests of human and animal subjects of research-not only during data collection but also in the analysis, interpretation, and publication of the resulting findings.


5. Responsibilities to Research Team Colleagues addresses the mutual responsibilities of professionals participating in multidisciplinary research teams.


6. Responsibilities to Other Statisticians or Statistical Practitioners notes the interdependence of professionals doing similar work, whether in the same or different organizations. Basically, they must contribute to the strength of their professions overall by sharing nonproprietary data and methods, participating in peer review, and respecting differing professional opinions.


7. Responsibilities Regarding Allegations of Misconduct addresses the sometimes painful process of investigating potential ethical violations and treating those involved with both justice and respect.


8. Responsibilities of Employers, Including Organizations, Individuals, Attorneys, or Other Clients Employing Statistical Practitioners encourages employers and clients to recognize the highly interdependent nature of statistical ethics and statistical validity. Employers and clients must not pressure practitioners to produce a particular "result," regardless of its statistical validity. They must avoid the potential social harm that can result from the dissemination of false or misleading statistical work.

The practice of Statistics is a job for skilled professionals. Accredited statisticians have been recognized by their peers as combining education, experience, competence, and commitment to ethics at a level that labels them as professionals. Accreditation provides a measure of assurance to employers, contractors and collaborators of statisticians, and a mark of accomplishment to society at large.

The ASA's accreditation program is modeled after programs in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Accreditation is a portfolio-based rather than an examination-based credential and is renewable every five years. Accreditation is also voluntary; applicants seek accreditation because they believe the credential is worthwhile to them, but it is not a requirement for practice.

Accreditation applicants will submit materials to be reviewed by members of the ASA Accreditation Committee, peers who will evaluate submissions based on the ASA's Guidelines for Accreditation. Those who meet these guidelines will be awarded the designation "accredited professional statistician."

ASA accreditation is a voluntary credential offered to ASA members that provides peer recognition for all of the following:

• Having advanced statistical training and knowledge
• Having experience in applying statistical expertise competently
• Maintaining appropriate professional development
• Agreeing to abide by ethical standards of practice
• Being able to communicate effectively

There is a fee to apply for and an annual fee to maintain accreditation.

The following scenarios provide a few practice scenarios for you to apply the ethical considerations discussed in this section.

Scenario 1

As the person in charge of transportation, you research new transportation techniques for the Penn State University Park campus and find that there is a low cost alternative to the CATA buses. Unfortunately, there are some troubling safety issues related to this alternative but you find several other colleges that have implemented this new technique. You ask each college for data on the safety numbers of the new technique. You analyze the data and realize that if you eliminate one of the colleges there is no difference in the safety of the old vs. new techniques. And, your budget will be balanced if you implement the new technique. What should you do?

• Can you identify the elements of the American Statistical Association Ethical Guidelines that come into question in the example?
• How do the guidelines help you considering the action you might take?

Scenario 2

While you are working on a problem on an exam you accidentally notice that the student next to you has a different answer. You decide to go back and check your work. After realizing that you made a mistake, you change your answer.

• Is this an act of academic integrity?
• What did the student do wrong?
• How could this have been avoided?

Scenario 3

A student is accused of plagiarism in a consulting report. While most of the report appears to be original, the professor finds several paragraphs that are directly copied from a journal article, which is cited in the students reference list. The student, convinced that he did not plagiarize, produces all of the notes he used when writing his paper. it is discovered that the copying was a result of sloppy note taking, because the student did not distinguish between his own notes and the words of the article's author in his notes.

• Is this plagiarism?
• Is this student responsible for a violation of academic integrity, or is this merely a case of 'bad study habits'?

Scenario 4

Alf Josefson studied benthic organisms from 14 areas of Skagerrak. His study determined that the area is eutrophic, based on a trend indicating increased biomass (weight per m²) that he found when combining data. The slope of the regression lines of biomass was positive at 12 of 14 areas. According to the researcher, this change was not due to chance and he argued that the conclusions could be extended to the whole of Skagerrak; he claims there was a general increase in biomass and that the changes in biomass are caused by "human generated input of nutrients to the sea and that there is evidence of eutrophication" (p. 404). John gray responded, arguing that there is no definitive evidence of eutrophication in Skagerrak. He claimed that Josefson improperly used statistical methods when combining data and of using the precautionary principle instead of statistic norms. He accused Josefson of "crying wolf" (p. 405) to the public on an issue of great political importance. In his reply to Gray, Josefson asks if scientists should not publish results until certainty has been obtained or if they can "warn on the basis of less security" (p. 405).

This disagreement is about (at least) two questions:

1. Is it legitimate to combine data the way Josefson does?
2. When is it appropriate to communicate?  How certain should one be before going public?

• What should this statistical consultant do?
• What actions should they take, if any?  Why?