SAGE Journals Online
Advertisement
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Advertisement

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Toxicology and Industrial Health
This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (3)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Claxton, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Claxton, L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

research-article

A review of conflict of interest, competing interest, and bias for toxicologists

LD Claxton

Environmental Carcinogenesis Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

One of the issues often associated with scientific misconduct is conflict of interest. Although there is a lack of uniformity in the definition of conflict of interest, many express concerns that competing interests may bias research methods and the interpretation of data and conclusions. In extreme cases, conflict of interest activity could contribute to scientific misconduct, hinder the training of scientists, delay the dissemination of research results, lead to the harming of human health and the environment, and misdirect society’s decisions that rely on science. This article is not a commentary or editorial but an attempt to supply an overview of what has been said, researched, and accomplished in the area of conflict of interest for toxicologists. Discussion of the financial, professional, and philosophical concerns associated with conflict of interest will be followed by brief discussion of general management approaches and the roles of scientists and organizations from all sectors (i.e., academia, industry, non-profit organizations, and government).

Key Words: academia • bias • competing interest • conflict of interest • editors • ethics • government • industry • journals • law • non-profit organizations • scientific societies • toxicology

References

  • Annals of Internal Medicine Editors (2004) Publishing commentary by authors with potential conflicts of interest: When, why, and how. Ann Intern Med 141: 73 – 74 .[Free Full Text]
  • Arenson KW; (2007) Columbia settles student loan case. New York Times; May 31, 2007.
  • Baba ACook DMMcGarity TOBero LA (2005) Legislating "Sound science": the role of the tobacco industry. Am J Public Health 95(Suppl. 1): S20 – S27 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Barnes DEBero LA (1997) Scientific quality of original research articles on environmental tobacco smoke. Tob Control 6: 19 – 26 .[Abstract]
  • Barnes DEBero LA (1998) Why review articles on the health effects of passive smoking reach different conclusions. J Am Med Assoc 279: 1566 – 1570 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Barrow CSConrad JW (2006a) Assessing the reliability and credibility of industry science and scientists. Environ Health Perspect 114: 153 – 155 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Barrow CSConrad JW (2006b) Credibility of scientists: Barrow and Conrad respond. Environ Health Perspect 114: A148 .[Web of Science]
  • Bayh-Dole Act (1980) Government patent policy act of 1980, public law no. 96–517, 94 stat 3015 (1980).
  • Behrens TRGray DO (2001) Unintended consequences of cooperative research: impact of industry sponsorship on climate for academic freedom and other graduate student outcome. Res Policy 30: 179 – 199 .[CrossRef]
  • Bekelman JELi YGross CP (2003) Scope and impact of financial conflicts of interest in biomedical research: a systematic review. J Am Med Assoc 289: 454 – 465 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Benner MSandstrom U (2000) Institutionalizing the triple helix: research funding and norms in the academic system. Res Policy 29: 291 – 301 .[CrossRef]
  • Bitton ANeuman MDBarnoya JGlantz SA (2005) The p53 tumour suppressor gene and the tobacco industry: research, debate, and conflict of interest. Lancet 365: 531 – 540 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Blumenthal DCampbell EGAnderson MSCausino NLouis KS (1997) Withholding research results in academic life science. Evidence from a national survey of faculty. J Am Med Assoc 277: 1224 – 1228 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Blumenthal DCausino NCampbell ELouis KS (1996) Relationships between academic institutions and industry in the life sciences – an industry survey. N Engl J Med 334: 368 – 373 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Blumenthal DGluck MLouis KSWise D (1986) Industrial support of university research in biotechnology. Science 231: 242 – 246 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Bok DC (1981) Business and the academy. Harv Mag 83: 23 – 35 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Bourke PButler L (1999) The efficacy of different modes of funding research: Perspectives from Australian data on the biological sciences. Res Policy 28: 489 – 499 .[CrossRef]
  • Boyd EABero LA (2000) Assessing faculty financial relationships with industry: a case study. J Am Med Assoc 284: 2209 – 2214 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/4/1/16
  • Boyd EALipton SBero LA (2004) Implementation of financial disclosure policies to manage conflicts of interest: how seven university of California campuses deal with their research relationships. Health Aff 23: 206 – 214 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Bozeman BGaughan M (2007) Impacts of grants and contracts on academic researchers’ interactions with industry. Res Policy 36: 694 – 707 .[CrossRef]
  • Brockway LMFurcht LT (2006) Conflicts of interest in biomedical research – the FASEB guidelines. FASEB J 20: 2435 – 2438 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Brodsky R (2007) Don’t ask, don’t tell. Gov Exec 39: 18 – 19 .
  • Callaham ML (2003) Journal policy on ethics in scientific publication. Ann Emerg Med 41: 82 – 89 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Campbell EGLouis KSBlumenthal D (1998) Looking a gift horse in the mouth: corporate gifts supporting life sciences research. J Am Med Assoc 279: 995 – 999 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Cassell GH (2007) Interactions of the public and private sectors in drug development: boundaries to protect scientific values while preserving innovation. Cleve Clin J Med 74: S45 – S48 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Check E (2007) California campuses resist industry restrictions. Nature 448: 394 – 395 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • http://www.ccjm.org/toc/COI.htm
  • Cho MKBero LA (1996) The quality of drug studies published in symposium proceedings. Ann Intern Med 124: 495 – 489 .[Free Full Text]
  • Cho MKShohara RSchissel ARennie D (2000) Policies on faculty conflicts of interest at US universities. J Am Med Assoc 284: 2203 – 2208 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/621026.html
  • Clapp RHoppin PKriebel D (2006) Erosion of the integrity of public health science in the USA. Occup Environ Med 63: 367 – 368 .[Free Full Text]
  • Claxton LD (2005a) Scientific authorship, part 1: a window into scientific fraud? Mutat Res 589: 17 – 30 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Claxton LD (2005b) Scientific authorship, part 2: history, recurring issues, practices, and guidelines. Mutat Res 589: 31 – 45 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • http://www.Publicationethics.Org.Uk/reports/2003
  • http://www.publicationethics.org.uk/
  • Dalton R (1999) Berkeley dispute festers over biotech deal. Nature 399: 5 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Dalton R (2003) Berkeley accused of biotech bias as ecologist is denied tenure. Nature 426: 591 – 594 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Dalton R (2007) Berkeley’s energy deal with BP sparks unease. Nature 445: 688 – 689 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Dearfield KLStack HFQuest JAWhiting RJWaters MD (1993) A survey of EPA/OPP and open literature data on selected pesticide chemicals tested for mutagenicity. I. Introduction and first ten chemicals. Mutat Res 297: 197 – 233 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Denissenko MFPao ATang MPfeifer GP (1996) Preferential formation of benzo[a]pyrene adducts at lung cancer mutational hotspots in p53. Science 274: 430 – 432 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Devine J (2001) Has there been a corporate takeover of EPA science? [Available at: http://www.Insideepa.Com/secure/docnum.Asp?F = epa_2001.Ask&docnum = 2001_11276] Risk Policy Report 8: 35 – 38 .
  • Doll R (1998) Effects of exposure to vinyl chloride. An assessment of the evidence. Scand J Work Environ Health 14: 61 – 78 .
  • Duvall DG (2006) Conflict of interest or ideological divide: The need for ongoing collaboration between physicians and industry. Curr Med Res Opin 9: 1807 – 1812 .
  • Evans GRPackham DE (2003) Ethical issues at the university-industry interface: a way forward? Sci Eng Ethics 9: 3 – 16 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Fields NChapman S (2003) Chasing Ernst L Wynder: 40 years of Philip Morris’ efforts to influence a leading scientist. J Epidemiol Community Health 57: 571 – 578 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/07d-0101-gdl0001.pdf
  • Friedman PJ (1992) The troublesome semantics of conflict of interest. Ethics Behav 2: 245 – 251 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Friedman LCDaynard RABanthin CN (2005) How tobacco-friendly science escapes scrutiny in the courtroom. Am J Public Health 95: S16 – S20 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Friedman LSRichter ED (2004) Relationship between conflicts of interest and research results. J Gen Intern Med 19: 51 – 56 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Friedman LRichter ED (2005) Conflicts of interest and scientific integrity. Int J Occup Environ Health 11: 205 – 206 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Fugh-Berman A (2005) The corporate coauthor. J Gen Intern Med 20: 546 – 548 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Garne DWatson MChapman SByrne F (2005) Environmental tobacco smoke research published in the journal Indoor and Built Environment and associations with the tobacco industry. Lancet 365: 804 – 809 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • George GZahra SAWood DR (2002) The effects of business-university alliances on innovative output and financial performance: a study of publicly traded biotechnology companies. J Bus Venturing 17: 577 – 609 .[CrossRef]
  • Gluck MEBlumenthal DStoto MA (1987) University–industry relationships in the life sciences: implications for students and post-doctoral fellows. Res Policy 16: 327 – 336 .[CrossRef]
  • Gold JL (2006) Conflict over conflicts of interest: an analysis of the new NIH rules. J Law Med Ethics 34: 105 – 110 .[Free Full Text]
  • Goozner M (2006) Credibility of scientists: industry versus public interest. Environ Health Perspect 114: A147 [author reply A148].[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Gulbrandsen MSmeby J-C (2005) Industry funding and university professors’ research performance. Res Policy 34: 932 – 950 .[CrossRef]
  • Hardell LWalker MJWalhjalt BFriedman LSRichter ED (2007) Secret ties to industry and conflicting interests in cancer research. Am J Ind Med 50: 227 – 233 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Hasselmo N (2002) Individual and institutional conflict of interest: Policy review by research universities in the United States. Sci Eng Ethics 8: 421 – 427 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Hutton WLMassey A (2006) Professional ethics and public service: Can professionals serve two masters? Public Money Manage 26: 23 – 30 .[CrossRef]
  • http://www.icmje.org/
  • Kenney M (1987) The ethical dilemmas of university-industry collaborations. J Bus Ethics 6: 127 – 135 .[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • Kodish EMurray TWhitehouse P (1996) Conflict of interest in university-industry research relationships: Realities, politics, and values. Acad Med 71: 1287 – 1290 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Kondro W (2006) Conflicts cause FDA to review advisory committees. Can Med Assoc J 175: 23 – 24 .[Free Full Text]
  • Krimsky SRothenberg LS (2001) Conflict of interest policies in science and medical journals: editorial practices and author disclosures. Sci Eng Ethics Behav 7: 205 – 218 .[CrossRef]
  • Labaton S; (2007) Nominee to head consumer agency withdraws. New York Times; May 23, 2007.
  • LaViolette PA (2007) Medical devices and conflict of interest: unique issues and an industry code to address them. Cleve Clin J Med 74: S26 – S28 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Lehman-McKeeman LPeterson RE (2003) Guidelines governing conflict of interest. Toxicol Sci 72: 183 – 184 .[Free Full Text]
  • Lemmens TFreedman B (2000) Ethics review for sale? Conflict of interest and commercial research review boards. Milbank Q 78: 547 – 584 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Lexchin JBero LADjulbegovic BClark O (2003) Pharmaceutical industry sponsorship and research outcome and quality: systematic review. Br Med J 326: 1167 – 1170 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Markowitz GRosner D (2002) Deceit and denial: the deadly politics of industrial pollution. Berkeley, CA : University of California Press . pp. 408.
  • Matthew 7:3. The Holy Bible (New International Version).
  • Maurissen JPGilbert SGSander MBeauchamp TLJohnson SSchwetz BAGoozner MBarrow CS (2005) Workshop proceedings: managing conflict of interest in science. A little consensus and a lot of controversy. Toxicol Sci 87: 11 – 14 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Mowery DNelson RRSampat BNZiedonis AA (2001) The growth of patenting and licensing by U.S. Universities: an assessment of the effects of the Bayh-Dole act of 1980. Res Policy 30: 99 – 119 .[CrossRef]
  • http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o
  • http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind98/c4/tt04-08.htm
  • Nature Editorial (2007) California dreaming. Nature 448: 388 – 388 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Newman A; (2007) To sell Brooklyn, borough leader took free trip on cruise ship. New York Times; May 26, 2007.
  • Office of General Counsel (2006) Ethics resource guide. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .
  • Omenn GS (1983) University-corporate relations in science and technology: an analysis of specific models. In: T LangfeltF HackncyA FishmanH Golowsky (eds), Partners in the Research Enterprise: Universities-Corporations in Science and Technology. Philadelphia, PA : University of Pennsylvania Press .
  • Ong EKGlantz SA (2001) Constructing "Sound science" and "Good epidemiology": tobacco, lawyers, and public relations firms. Am J Public Health 91: 1749 – 1757 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Pronin EGilovich TRoss L (2004) Objectivity in the eye of the beholder: divergent perceptions of bias in self versus others. Psychol Rev 111: 781 – 799 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Purchase IFH (2004) Fraud, errors and gamesmanship in experimental toxicology. Toxicology 202: 1 – 20 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Rumsey TS (1999) One editor's views on conflict of interest. J Anim Sci 77: 2379 – 2383 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Samet JMBurke TA (2001) Turning science into junk: the tobacco industry and passive smoking. Am J Public Health 91: 1742 – 1744 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Sass JBCastleman BWallinga D (2005) Vinyl chloride. A case study of data suppression and misrepresentation. Environ Health Perspect 113: 809 – 812 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Sass J (2006) Credibility of scientists: conflict of interest and bias. Environ Health Perspect 114: A147 – A148 [author reply A148].[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Sengupta S; (2007) Sri Lanka human rights panel is criticized. New York Times; June 11, 2007.
  • Smith EA (2007) ‘It’s interesting how few people die from smoking’: tobacco industry efforts to minimize risk and discredit health promotion. Eur J Public Health 17: 162 – 170 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • http://www.toxicology.org/ai/asot/AdvisoryBoard.asp
  • Soule E (2007) Managing ethical performance in organizations: insights from the corporate world. Cleve Clin J Med 74: S73 – S76 .[Free Full Text]
  • Stark A (2000) Conflict of interest in American public life Boston. MA : Harvard University Press . pp. 384.
  • Stark A (2006) Canada’s upside-down world of public-sector ethics. Res Public Policy Anal Manage 14: 109 – 134 .[CrossRef]
  • Steinbrook R (2004) Conflicts of interest at the NIH – resolving the problem. N Engl J Med 351: 955 – 957 .[Free Full Text]
  • Sugarman SD (2005) Conflicts of interest in the roles of the university professor. Theoretical Inquiries in Law 6: 255 – 275 .
  • The National Academies (2003) Policy on committee composition and balance and conflicts of interest for committees used in the development of reports. Washington, D.C. : The National Academies .
  • Thompson DF (1993) Understanding financial conflicts of interest. N Engl J Med 329: 573 – 576 .[Free Full Text]
  • U.S. Congress (1972) Federal advisory committee act [FACA] 5 U.S.C. app., As Amended; 1972.
  • U.S. EPA (2005) Good laboratory practice standards. 40 cfr 160. Washington, DC : U.S. Environmental Protection Agency .
  • Vagelos PR (2007) Innovation and industry-academia interactions: where conflicts arise and measures to avoid them. Cleve Clin J Med 74: S12 – S13 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Van McCrary SAnderson CBJakovljevic JKhan TMcCullough LBWray NPBrody BA (2000) A national survey of policies on disclosure of conflicts of interest in biomedical research. N Engl J Med 343: 1621 – 1626 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • vom Saal FSHughes C (2005) An extensive new literature concerning low-dose effects of bisphenol A shows the need for a new risk assessment. Environ Health Perspect 113: 926 – 933 .[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Wolpe PR (2006) Reasons scientists avoid thinking about ethics. Cell 125: 1023 – 1025 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • World Health Organisation (2003) Guidelines for WHO guidelines, Report No. EIP/GPE/EQC/2003.1.
  • World Health Organisation (2005) Draft guidelines for declaration of interest (WHO experts).
  • Yach DBialous SA (2001) Junking science to promote tobacco. Am J Public Health 91: 1745 – 1748 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Toxicology and Industrial Health, Vol. 23, No. 10, 557-571 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0748233708089046
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Epidemiol. Community HealthHome page
H. Marcovitch
How do potential conflicts of interest confuse medicine and public health?: How could disclosure of interests work better in medicine, epidemiology and public health?
J Epidemiol Community Health, August 1, 2009; 63(8): 608 - 609.
[Full Text] [PDF]

This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (3)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Claxton, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Claxton, L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Advertisement