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Misconduct Vs. Honest Errors: Should Honest Errors in Research be Punished?

Volume 8 - Issue 5

Olukunle Cornelius Ewuoso*

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    • Department of Philosophy, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

    *Corresponding author: Olukunle Cornelius Ewuoso, Centre for Applied Ethics, Department of Philosophy, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa

Received: August 23, 2018;   Published: September 10, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.08.001715

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Abstract

No research endeavor is completely immune protected from errors. Errors are either intentional or unintentional. When they are intentional, they are called misconduct, while the contrary would be honest errors. Albeit errors in research have the potential of compromising the researcher’s integrity, the work of other researchers or erode the trust of the public in researchers and research, it would still be improper to punish honest (unintentional) errors. I argued in this paper that honest errors should not be punished. For the reason that honest errors are not willful deliberate acts and punishing honest errors can trigger a mass hysteria in the research community. This could stifle research progress. In this review, I equally spell out a particular interpretation of African moral theory to support the thesis that honest mistakes, since they do not in anyway intend ‘unfriendliness’ on the part of the investigator, should not be punished. In the final section, I highlighted some measures which could be adopted to mitigate the occurrence of errors within the clinical context.

Abstract | Introduction | Conceptual Clarification | Honest Errors: To Punish or Not to Punish? | Honest Mistakes from an African Moral Theory | Recommendations for Mitigating Errors in Research | Conclusion | References |