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M S Frankel

Publications and source records attributed to M S Frankel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Perception, reality, and the political context of conflict of interest in university-industry relationships.

The crucial issues in a policy debate are often matters of perception and interpretation rather than fact, and the values and norms that influence perceptions are central to an understanding of conflict in the policy arena. For example, science's norms of objectivity and disinterestedness are being modified today to accommodate closer academic-industry ties. The author traces in detail how these ties and the accompanying public distrust have developed, beginning with the post-World-War-II increase in public support for basic research and continuing with subsequent pieces of legislation that lowered the barriers between academic and industrial research in order to reap economic benefits. He then analyzes the impact of financial incentives in university-industry relationships on science and on public perceptions of science, and the price both science and the public would pay if the public loses trust in science and refuses to support it. He also reviews the history of the ill-fated National Institutes of Health guidelines for university-industry collaborations proposed in 1979 and the subsequent history of the policy on this topic recently adopted by the Public Health Service. He maintains that the PHS policy poses both a risk (the temptation to enforce the policy loosely) and an opportunity (for research institutions to grasp the initiative and develop meaningful conflict-of-interest guidelines of their own). But the policy falls short of responding to the much broader range of concerns associated with university-industry research collaboration, for example, the possible effects of such collaboration on the traditional openness and sharing among scientists. The available data on these effects are mixed. He concludes by maintaining that scientists and their industry partners should address the issues surrounding their collaboration now rather than waiting for negative events to trigger public arousal and force a mutually unsatisfying political solution. This article is one of three in this issue of Academic Medicine that deal with issues of conflict of interest in university-industry research relationships. These articles are discussed in an overview that precedes them.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed1996

Developing ethical standards for responsible research: Why? Form? Functions? Process? Outcomes?

Any profession that is considering the development of ethical standards should give serious attention to the intended purposes of such standards, what form they should take, what functions they will serve, how the process for developing them should be organized, what outcomes are sought, and what values are central to the mission and performance of the profession. The profession serves as a normative reference group for individual practitioners and through ethical standards clarifies, for both its members and outsiders, the norms that ought to govern professional behavior. Such standards may be aspirational, educational, or regulatory, and may perform many functions, nine of which are discussed. The process of developing standards is assessed because of the role it plays in gaining consensus on professional values and ethical norms. Finally, several outcomes likely to increase the value and utility of ethical standards are identified.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed1994

Ethics in research: current issues for dental researchers and their professional society.

Values associated with scientific investigations affect the conduct, evaluation, and reporting of research and lead to ethical issues for scientists engaged in dental research. This essay examines the relationship between scientists and the larger society in which they work, and how that relationship defines the boundaries of scientific freedom and autonomy, on the one hand, and scientific responsibility and accountability, on the other. Values underlie disputes over data sharing, perceptions of conflict of interest, and scientists' commitment to research integrity. Professional societies, such as the IADR, can be a major influence in shaping the moral tone and ethical climate for research through the adoption of standards, the development of educational programs designed to reinforce those standards, and the public recognition of responsible conduct on the part of scientists.

Conflict of Interest↗
PubMed1974

Role of semen cryobanking in American medicine.

In the United States there is little public policy regulating the activities of semen cryobanks. The medical profession has also been conspicuously silent on this aspect of medical practice. The potential benefits of semen cryobanking are enormous, yet like all other technologies its application (particularly commercially) may produce unexpected and unwanted consequences. It is suggested that a co-operative effort is needed between public officials and the medical profession to establish standards and guidelines which would maximize the benefits of this technique.

Adoption↗