Accountability in Research: Policies and Quality Assurance is devoted to the examination and critical analysis of systems for maximizing integrity in the conduct of research. It provides an interdisciplinary, international forum for the development of new procedures, standards and policies to encourage the ethical conduct of research for enhancing the validity of research results.

The journal publishes original empirical, methodological, policy and theoretical papers, case studies, conference reports and book reviews that address issues of integrity and accountability in research. Book reviews are published periodically on topics relevant to the journal's scope. Books for review should be sent to: Sheldon Krimsky, Department of Urban & Environmental Policy and Planning, 97 Talbot Avenue, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155 USA.

Accountability in Research seeks to serve a broad range of scientists and administrators in academia, industry and government. While relevant to any discipline, the journal focuses in particular on biotechnology, chemistry, medicine, pharmacology, toxicology, pathology, environmental science, and clinical trials. Examples of topics addressed include:

• Comparison and study of alternative mechanisms for maintaining quality in research (including audits, peer review, codes, guidelines for researchers and research ethics training).
• Comparison of research management at different types of research organizations (industrial R&D, toxicology testing, academic research, national labs) and among fields.
• Comparison of mechanisms for making decisions about research funding.
• Examination of the effects of different reward structures on the performance of research organizations.
• Examination of different methods of research dissemination (e.g., on-line vs. journal publication).
• Exploration of the ethical and legal issues involved in different ways of organizing research and verifying its quality.
• Examination of issues surrounding the use of human subjects in research, such as the use of incentives, recruitment of subjects, exclusion and inclusion of subjects, deception, privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, justice, risk/benefit issues, and research on vulnerable populations, such as decisionally impaired, children, prisoners, and minorities.
• Study and analysis of specific methodologies used in human subjects' research, such as placebo-controls, randomization, and blinding.
• Study and analysis of specific issues pertaining to the use of animals in research.
• Analysis of scientific misconduct, its causes and effects.
• Analysis of aspects of research integrity, such as honesty, objectivity, allocation of credit, sharing of data and resources.
• Research on compliance with regulatory and ethical standards.
• Analysis of issues pertaining to the conduct and organization of Institutional Review Board (IRBs) such as education, conflicts of interest, composition and monitoring.
• Analysis of the institutional, social, cultural, political, and economic factors that affect the conduct of research, such as intellectual property disputes, bias and discrimination, mentoring, vested interest, and personnel decisions.
• Research on science policy, expert testimony, and the role of researchers in influencing or shaping public policy.
• Research on ethical and legal aspects of public safety and public health issues.
• Whistle blowing: its prevalence, case studies, its nature and effects.

The journal welcomes divergent views on these and related topics from research scientists as well as from those in the fields of law, medicine, economics, statistics, management studies, public policy, sociology, history, psychology, philosophy, ethics, and information science--in short, from all concerned with ethics and integrity in scientific research.

Publication office: Taylor & Francis, Inc., 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106