The goal of collegial ethics is to actively support our colleagues and to develop the skills needed to do so. While collegial interactions are key for our careers, there is little or no training in this. Many of our actions and reactions with our colleagues are instinctive. Human nature has evolved to be self-protective, but many evolved and automatic responses to others are not always in the best interests of our society or of us. Developing courage and a style of (...) supportive language, avoiding destructive acts, and adhering to the golden rule will improve our relationships and provide a more positive environment for all. (shrink)

In 1999 Science and Engineering Ethics published a special issue “Scientific Misconduct” in which James Lubalin and Jennifer Matheson discussed the sequelae of allegations of scientific misconduct [1]. An important finding highlighted in their analysis is that a substantial majority of both those accused but exonerated of scientific misconduct and whistleblowers experienced negative consequences in their personal and professional lives. Professional reputation is critically important to career advancement and personal well-being. This Letter to the Editors discusses blacklisting, an insidious, ethically (...) problematic process which is likely to produce the negative consequences described by Lubalin and Matheson. It is a topic that merits attention by the scientific community—SJB. (shrink)