Last year, the Institute of Medicine published a major report1 that does not seem to have inspired much response. A fairly thorough search showed that only one journal, JAMA, mentions the IOM's Integrity in Scientific Research: Creating an Environment that Promotes Responsible Conduct (in a book review).2 Furthermore, the IOM's Web page, in announcing that a town meeting would be held to discuss the report, promises, but does not deliver, the workshop's agenda and audio presentations.3
The Committee on Assessing Integrity in Research Environments commissioned me to write three background papers4; I also attended the town meeting, held in Washington last year. I hope to stimulate more public discussion by commenting briefly on the report and making my own suggestions.
The IOM report makes six recommendations. The first, acknowledging the dearth of empirical knowledge on the matter, urges funding agencies to "establish research grants to identify, measure, and assess those ...
