This letter provides specific information concerning the way the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) conceived its meeting ("convocation") on scientific misconduct, 7 June 1994 (Franklin Hoke, "Meeting On Science Conduct Seen As A Noble Attempt That Fell Short," The Scientist, 25 July 1994, page 1).
I tried to make this meeting more relevant by proposing that specific documentation concerning specific examples be distributed at this meeting. I was following a recommendation made in the report by a National Research Council committee chaired by Edward David: Responsible Science: Ensuring the Integrity of the Research Process, endorsed and published by the NAS, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine (IoM) in 1992. On page 132, this report recommends: "More than generalities should be taught. Specific examples, preferably local case histories, are the preferred way to provide guidance on matters important in the profession." Bruce Alberts, president of the NAS, answered me ...
