Early career scientists sometimes observe senior scientists engage in apparent scientific misconduct, but feel powerless to intervene, lest they imperil their careers. We propose a Secure Reporting Procedure that both protects them, when pursuing those concerns, and treats the senior scientists fairly. The proposed procedure is, we argue, consistent with the ethical principles of the scientific community, as expressed in the codes of its professional organizations. However, its implementation will require changes in procedures and regulations. Those efforts will be a small price to pay for protecting the scientific community’s integrity and fidelity to its principles. We begin by describing the circumstances motivating the proposal, then sketch its design, and, finally, illustrate next steps in its application in two national settings.

早期职业科学家有时会观察到资深科学家从事明显的科学不端行为，但又觉得无能为力，以免危及他们的职业生涯。我们提出了一个安全报告程序，既可以保护他们，也可以在处理这些问题时公平对待资深科学家。我们认为，拟议的程序符合科学界的道德原则，正如其专业组织的守则所表达的那样。然而，其实施将需要改变程序和规定。这些努力将是保护科学界对其原则的完整性和忠诚度的一小部分代价。我们首先描述推动该提案的环境，然后勾勒其设计，最后说明其在两个国家环境中应用的后续步骤。