I have worked with several strong research groups conducting solid basic science and clinical research. Early in my career I witnessed research misconduct and the conditions allowing it to occur, while also taking steps to prevent it.

A primary factor missing in the misconduct I witnessed was the regular meeting of the Principal Investigator with the research team. One in which progress and bench marks are reported by team members.

This “opportunity” factor (addressed by Kenneth Pimple and Douglas Adams in their work) has often been overlooked. It is one of the fundamental practices of conducting research protocols and is essential to improving ROI from our biomedical research spending.