Publishing faculty's external relationships in VIVO, the Library-maintained researcher profile system

Abstract

At Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), all faculty members and staff are required to complete a Conflicts of Interest Survey at least once annually. These disclosures include the following types of external relationships: Advisory/Scientific Board Member, Consultant, Leadership Roles, Ownership, Professional Services, Proprietary Interest, and Speaker/Lecturer. Until recently, these disclosures of external relationships were not easily accessible by the general public. WCM began in January 2022 to publish all external relationships on its clinical (POPS) and researcher (VIVO) profile systems. VIVO is managed by the Samuel J. Wood Library. This change was made by WCM as part of a larger strategy of improving the transparency of its researchers' conduct. This is especially relevant at a time when the integrity of research is under greater scrutiny in society at large.