Adapted and extended from the
PC Chair speech in CCC’26, based on several different issues:
1.
Identify that there is an ethical
issue. Usually someone will know something is wrong and say something. They’ll
sometimes describe the issue as smaller than it is, they’ll sometimes not have
the full and accurate picture. This step is the hardest. Even I, who have very
sharp instincts for ethical issues, miss them sometimes.
2.
Pause. Handling the issue well
would and should take longer than handling normal business. That’s ok, because
there usually aren’t many ethical issues. It’s important to handle ethical
issues well for the sake of our community, the people and their careers. Until
you find out what happened, do not say anything other than that you’re looking
into the issue.
3.
Find out. A conflict usually involves
two papers. Get both sides of the story. You might have to ask pointed
questions to get the full story. In addition, get the opinion of an objective,
relevant expert. People in our community usually don’t lie, and the stories
will likely match up. Figure out the timeline for yourself, understand what
happened.
4.
Write to the PC. I believe in a digest from
the chair plus the raw data from the authors and the expert: let people
describe in their own words what happened. Once the committee has all the
relevant information, let them discuss. Usually, experienced and conscientious
members of the PC will chime in and raise the relevant points. I’m a great
believer in giving people enough time to think. Our discussion lasted about a day
by email, and once we reached a decision, I gave the PC time to make sure they
stand behind the decision.
5.
Mistakes. Having two papers get the
same result is very common, since much of research is doing “the next thing”,
and often there are several experts who know what “the next thing” is. Usually,
authors resolve conflicts amongst themselves. When a PC gets involved, it
usually means that everyone made mistakes* (sometimes including the PC). Not
all mistakes are alike – some mistakes are understandable, some mistakes are
bad. Figure out who made what mistake and why. Often mistakes happen because
there are young people involved who do not fully understand the mores of our
academic community. I believe that it’s up to the senior people to be mindful
of this reality and handle it with care and generosity.
6.
Write to the authors. It’s not enough to make a
good decision, people need to know it. I invested a lot of thought in my
messages to the authors. I know that this is a sensitive issue and that
whatever I say will be remembered. I also know that as an Israeli I’m at risk
of insulting someone. I tried to explain the PC’s decision and uproot the
mistakes, respectfully and sensitively. I tried to explain the different
sides to one another. I always think about the day after and how we all need to
continue doing good work and live together as a community. I believe that when
you handle ethical issues well, this is what happens. Honestly, I was very
nervous until I got the responses of the authors. I was relieved when it seemed
that my messages were well received and agreement was reached.
* To be clear, I think that
life means making mistakes, because never making a mistake is a mistake in
itself. I certainly make many mistakes.