Doctoral Colloquium Keynote Address Conduct, Misconduct, and Cargo Cult Science

I will elaborate some principles of ethical conduct in science that correspond to Richard Feynman’s wellknown precepts of “utter honesty” and “leaning over backwards” in all aspects of scientific work. These principles have recently been called into question by certain individuals who allege that such rules are based on a misunderstanding of “how science actually works” and are therefore potentially “damaging to the scientific enterprise.” In addition to examining critically the general basis for these allegations, I will discuss the particular relevance of Feynman’s ideals to the field of computer simulation; and I will emphasize the need for meticulous validation of simulation models together with exact reproducibility and unimpeachable analysis of experiments performed with those models. Finally I will discuss the ethical dilemmas inherent in the peer review system, and I will offer some concrete suggestions for improving the process of refereeing primary journal articles.