Crossing the scientific line: Sins of Omission and Commission

摘要

'Crossing the scientific line' - an ominous term, but what does it mean? There is no clear definition related to science to be found in Google searches. The term appears to refer to scientific misconduct, but what type of misconduct? In this Editorial I explore scientific 'sins' that I believe constitute 'crossing the scientific line' - both by Omission and Commission. At the end of the Editorial I explain why I was motivated to explore and to attempt to define this term - I was recently accused of 'crossing the line' by an old colleague.