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Those responsible for training new researchers should seek to develop not only their students' research skills, but also their characters. Contemporary moral philosopher MacIntyre (1984) argues that new participants in any complex social activity, such as scientific research, must develop virtues in order to learn their craft Students or novices must accept the authority of established standards of excellence in research and recognize the inadequacy of their own work in light of those standards. In time, these students may gain the capacity to criticize or further develop these standards.

The process of initiation into a field requires the practice of particular virtues, which we will discuss. New researchers require justice in order to discern what they owe to whom. They must determine, for example, how to show their gratitude to their teachers, how to treat animal subjects of research humanely, and how to compensate human subjects appropriately. They require courage to take the risks necessary for good research. Perhaps the most crucial virtue for researchers is honesty or truthfulness. The division of labor among many researchers requires clear and complete presentation of data, even when such data contradicts an attractive hypothesis. The entire enterprise of scientific research would collapse without the commitment to a truthful sharing of results. Consequently, the scientific community levies harsh punishments on scientists who betray this trust. The virtue of honesty also promotes a high regard for, and even relentless pursuit of, the truth. The truthful researcher constantly seeks to expand his or her knowledge and avoids sources of information that may be misleading. Such researchers candidly evaluate their own performances and, by practicing the virtue of humility, they seek out criticism from those who can correct their errors.

In order to cultivate such virtues in their students, educators cannot merely talk about them in the classroom. Because the virtues are not abstract intellectual concepts, but rather habits of good character and behavior, students will acquire them only through active participation in research under the close guidance of mentors who possess these virtues themselves.

Research from the “positive psychology” movement indicates that under the right circumstances, virtues can be taught, and MacIntyre's work suggests that virtuous behavior will flourish only within communities that hold the virtues at the core of their common life (Bryan and Babelay 2009). Therefore, academic departments must recruit and promote faculty members who exemplify these virtues.

This emphasis on the moral formation of researchers is meant to supplement, not replace, the existing guidelines on ethical research. Indeed, fidelity to fundamental research statutes, such as those regarding informed consent, could be considered a virtue. However, these guidelines may not always provide a clear direction in challenging situations and, from time to time, institutions will promulgate the guidelines as unethical. In such cases, a morally acceptable outcome depends on virtuous persons recognizing what is required of them and acting rightly – thereby displaying virtues such as justice and courage.