This paper started from an inductive ethnography conducted within a cancer research lab in Belgium. The primary objective was to explore how researchers make decisions and rationalize their scientific practices. Through data collected from participant observation, interviews, and analysis of research protocols, the study exposes serious knowledge gaps that compromise research ethics. Specifically, the findings reveal the scientists’ need for more understanding of the validity of their lab machines and the readymade consumables procured from external providers. Moreover, without questioning this dependency, our participants (scientists) rely heavily on machines and consumables for almost all their research protocols. The findings suggest that cancer researchers place unjustifiable trust in the lab’s machines and the external providers’ reliability; this compromises the following three fundamental ethical principles: research integrity, responsible conduct, and the responsibility of using resources and technologies.

本文始于比利时癌症研究实验室进行的归纳人种学研究。主要目标是探索研究人员如何做出决策并使他们的科学实践合理化。通过从参与者观察、访谈和研究方案分析中收集的数据，该研究暴露了损害研究道德的严重知识差距。具体来说，研究结果表明科学家需要更多地了解其实验室机器和从外部供应商采购的现成消耗品的有效性。此外，在不质疑这种依赖性的情况下，我们的参与者（科学家）几乎所有的研究方案都严重依赖机器和消耗品。研究结果表明，癌症研究人员对实验室的机器和外部供应商的可靠性抱有不合理的信任；这损害了以下三个基本道德原则：研究诚信、负责任的行为以及使用资源和技术的责任。