Outsourcing neuroimaging data analysis Implications for scientific accountability and issues in the public interest.

摘要

Rodin's statue The Thinker depicts a solitary ponderer - an iconic image of the individual scientist. Historically, this has been a fitting icon for scientific research in cognitive science domains including philosophy and psychology. However, this ideal is increasingly difficult to achieve in many academic disciplines, and particularly in the field of cognitive neuroscience where the mastery of multiple domains often exceeds the ability of any one individual. The result is an increase in collaborative efforts where responsibility is distributed among a research team. There is, however, an emerging development in cognitive neuroscience. In a new form of collaboration, the academic researcher performing functional neuroimaging can outsource data analysis to commercial companies. Whereas outsourcing might be suitable for some analysis situations, for others it raises important considerations for granting agencies and peer-review policies, and in certain instances can be a disservice to the research enterprise.