CRS Research Integrity & Scientific Misconduct 3

Question 1

Which of the following is a core area included in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) education as outlined by federal guidelines?

Accepted Answer

Research mentoring, conflict of interest, data management, and research misconduct

Answer

Federal RCR guidelines identify key topics including mentorship, conflict of interest, data management, research misconduct, human subjects protection, and collaborative research.

Question 2

A financial conflict of interest (COI) in research most commonly arises when:

Accepted Answer

A researcher has financial ties to an entity that could bias research design, conduct, or reporting

Answer

Financial COI occurs when a researcher's personal financial interests — such as equity stakes, consulting fees, or royalties — could compromise the objectivity of their research.

Question 3

Outcome reporting bias (selective reporting) threatens research integrity because it:

Accepted Answer

Distorts the published literature by reporting only significant or favorable outcomes while omitting others

Answer

Selective outcome reporting inflates apparent effectiveness, contributes to publication bias, and gives readers a skewed picture of the available evidence.

Question 4

Pre-registration of a study (e.g., on ClinicalTrials.gov or the OSF) primarily serves to:

Accepted Answer

Publicly document hypotheses, methods, and outcomes before data collection to prevent post-hoc manipulation

Answer

Pre-registration creates a timestamped public record of planned hypotheses and analyses, making it possible to distinguish confirmatory from exploratory findings and deter p-hacking.

Question 5

Which federal body issued the overarching policy definition of research misconduct that applies across all federally funded research in the US?

Accepted Answer

Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)

Answer

OSTP issued the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct in 2000, establishing the government-wide FFP definition of research misconduct that all federal agencies must adopt.

(CRS) Certified Research Specialist Practice Test

(CRS) Certified Research Specialist Practice Test

CRS Research Integrity & Scientific Misconduct 3