The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), an association of commercial pharmaceutical companies, has developed a new set of principles to guide research. A June 30 press release stated: "In the Principles, the PhRMA companies commit to the timely communication of all meaningful results of clinical trials, whether those results are positive or negative."

Recently the independent Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has released an update to a February report entitled Scientific Integrity in Policymaking. According to the UCS, over 4,000 scientists have signed on to the statement, charging that "the Bush Administration continues to suppress and distort scientific knowledge and undermine scientific advisory councils" and calling for "restoration of scientific integrity in federal policymaking."

Recently, a number of media reports have focused attention on conflict of interest issues in the research arena. Although most research institutions have conflicts of interest policies in place for investigators, fewer have adopted concrete policies pertaining to institutional conflicts of interest...

Recent articles and letters in the New York Times and Nature Neuroscience journal have raised questions about the financial disclosure policies of scientific journals, leading the Nature Publishing Group to amend its current policy to include authors of review articles, editors, and referees...