Do Researchers Disclose Conflicts of Interest in Publications When They Should? A Cross-Institutional Assessment of Financial Conflict of Interest Reports

Term: Spring 2023

Date: April 24th, 2023

Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Location: Online Only

Instructors: Cristen Jandreau

Presented By: Scholarly integrity & Research Complaince (SIRC)

Description:

Journals require researchers to disclose related conflicts of interest when publishing their project’s results. Virginia Tech’s Research Conflict of Interest Program also requires researchers to disclose in publications as a mitigation strategy to promote transparency when managing a financial conflict of interest. The program monitors researchers’ compliance with disclosure in publications through the project’s term as required by sponsor regulations. However, because publication of study results often occurs months or years after the project’s term has ended, it is unclear if an accurate scientific record is being maintained. Failure to disclose can result in needing to correct the scientific record and seek remedies with the sponsor, which can put the researcher and the institution at reputational risk. In this Investigator Series, the speaker will walk through their recently published study that used publicly available databases to analyze disclosure completion, cross-institutionally, in the years before and after the ending date of the project’s term.