Research Integrity: Case Study

Follow the story of Dr. Thompson's laboratory. Experience the issues that arise from being in a small lab through the eyes of a new principal investigator (PI), a postdoctoral fellow, and a graduate student. These case study videos address topics such as mentoring relationships, authorship, publication, data integrity, and potential research misconduct.   

Meet the Characters

Dr. Jeff Thompson is driven to secure his reputation as a successful researcher after recently leaving the lab of respected scientist. His relationship with his former PI has helped him immensely in the past, but he is eager to escape from under his shadow. 

Amit is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Thompson's laboratory.  He completed his Ph.D. in India and came to the U.S. to bolster his professional reputation. He and his wife are expecting their first child soon. Dr. Thompson relies on him to mentor graduate students with which he has little experience. He goes to great lengths to seek approval from his PI.

Ashley is a graduate student seeking to join a lab.  Ultimately, she joins Dr. Thompson's lab where she hopes to receive more individual attention.  During her training, she encounters difficulties and uncovers questionable research practices.

ORI thanks the University of Maryland College Park, School of Public Health and Howard University for allowing us to film these case studies on their campus.

Download High Definition Videos (1080)
Choosing the Right Lab (293 MB)	Reproducibility or Luck? The Struggle to Get Results (328 MB)
Data Cherry Picking (270 MB)	The Misuse of Placeholders (229 MB)
To Proceed or Not to Proceed Without Raw Data? (445 MB)	Crossing the Line into Misconduct (369 MB)
I Wrote It, Why Re-Write It? (226 MB)	When Authorship Gets Personal (273 MB)
How Impact Factors Impact You (187 MB)	Biased Peer Review or Flawed Methodology? (305 MB)
You Suspect Research Misconduct. Now What? (198 MB)