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Principle A: Professional Integrity and Accountability

   
The ASA Committee on Professional Ethics seeks input on the Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice, which are permanently linked here:


http://www.amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/Ethical-Guidelines-for-Statistical-Practice.aspx


If you would like to contribute a recommendation for revision to the Guidelines, or for a comment for the linked discussion, we have created discussion threads for each of the Guidelines' individual principles. Please comment on the principle(s) most directly related to your suggestion(s).

Your suggestions should be as specific and complete as possible so that the Committee or its designated Working Group can review and consider your suggestions and input. All suggestions received through these discussion threads will be considered by the Committee.



The ethical statistician uses methodology and data that are relevant and appropriate, without favoritism or prejudice, and in a manner intended to produce valid, interpretable, and reproducible results. The ethical statistician does not knowingly accept work for which he/she is not sufficiently qualified, is honest with the client about any limitation of expertise, and consults other statisticians when necessary or in doubt. It is essential that statisticians treat others with respect.

 The ethical statistician:

  1. Identifies and mitigates any preferences on the part of the investigators or data providers that might predetermine or influence the analyses/results.
  2. Employs selection or sampling methods and analytic approaches appropriate and valid for the specific question to be addressed, so that results extend beyond the sample to a population relevant to the objectives with minimal error under reasonable assumptions.    
  3. Respects and acknowledges the contributions and intellectual property of others.
  4. When establishing authorship order for posters, papers, and other scholarship, strives to make clear the basis for this order, if determined on grounds other than intellectual contribution.
  5. Discloses conflicts of interest, financial and otherwise, and manages or resolves them according to established (institutional/regional/local) rules and laws.
  6. Accepts full responsibility for his/her professional performance. Provides only expert testimony, written work, and oral presentations that he/she would be willing to have peer reviewed.
  7. Exhibits respect for others and, thus, neither engages in nor condones discrimination based on personal characteristics; bullying; unwelcome physical, including sexual, contact; or other forms of harassment or intimidation, and takes appropriate action when aware of such unethical practices by others.
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Rochelle Tractenberg
02-08-2020 16:41

I propose that a new element be added to Principle A, item A. 1: (the ethical statistician) "Upholds, promotes, and respects these Guidelines."

Rochelle Tractenberg
04-29-2019 14:18

There is an ongoing conversation (2017-2019 -and still going on) about providing ethical peer review - how to identify papers that need to be retracted, how to apply consensus-based guidelines (e.g., SAMPL) to reviews, and how to formulate our feedback so that everyone is on board with ethical presentations, etc. There should at least be some mention that being on a journal's editorial board is one way to promote ethical practice.

Rochelle Tractenberg
03-23-2019 17:25

This Guideline (GL) principle (A, Professional Integrity and Accountability) lacks any mention of the obligation to promote ethical practice wherever possible. Instructors in statistics and data science programs, mentors, those who offer short-term training in statistics and data science, and senior practitioners who manage, mentor, and/or train junior ones, should be obliged to promote ethical practice. The preamble states that "The principles expressed here should guide both those whose primary occupation is statistics and those in all other disciplines who use statistical methods in their professional work." Prior to this, it is stated that "However, in all cases, stakeholders have an obligation to act in good faith, to act in a manner that is consistent with these guidelines, and to encourage others to do the same." This statement in the preamble relates to "stakeholders" but articulates an obligation that all of them have an obligation to act consistently with these GLs. Clarifying/specifying that those with responsibilities to teach, train, or mentor in the use of statistics and data science methods have a special obligation to promote behavior that is consistent with these GLs would strengthen the GLs. Promoting ethical practice is an obligation to the community of practitioners, as well as to the public. This obligation is alluded to and can be inferred, but should be made explicit (in the preamble, the principle on professional integrity and accountability, or principles relating to responsibilities to others in their team or to other statistics/data science practitioners).

Thus, I recommend that the core statement of A be amended such that the text includes the following: "Those with responsibilities to teach, train, or mentor in the use or application of statistics and data science have a special obligation to promote behavior that is consistent with these GLs."