Understanding Research Misconduct: A Comparative Analysis of 120 Cases of Professional Wrongdoing

We analyzed 40 cases of falsification, fabrication, or plagiarism (FFP), comparing them to other types of wrongdoing in research (n = 40) and medicine (n = 40). Fifty-one variables were coded from an average of 29 news or investigative reports per case. Financial incentives, oversight failures, and seniority correlate significantly with more serious instances of FFP. However, most environmental variables were nearly absent from cases of FFP and none were more strongly present in cases of FFP than in other types of wrongdoing. Qualitative data suggest FFP involves thinking errors, poor coping with research pressures, and inadequate oversight. We offer recommendations for education, institutional investigations, policy, and further research.     

Research Misconduct Policies of Scientific Journals

The purpose of this study was to gather information on the misconduct policies of scientific journals. We contacted editors from a random sample of 399 journals drawn from the ISI Web of Knowledge database. We received 197 responses (49.4% response rate): 54.8% had a policy, and 47.7% had a formal (written) policy; 28.9% had a policy that only outlined procedures for handling misconduct, 15.7% had a policy that only defined misconduct, 10.2% had a policy that included both a definition and procedures; 26.9% of journals had a policy that was generated by the publisher, 13.2% had a policy that was generated by the journal, and 14.7% had a policy that was generated by another source, such as a professional association. We analyzed the relationship between having a policy and impact factor, field of science, publishing house, and nationality. Impact factor was the only variable with a statistically significant association with having a policy. Impact factor was slightly positively associated with whether or not the publisher had a policy, with an odds ratio of 1.49 (P < .0004) per 10 units increase in the impact factor, with a 95% confidence interval (1.20, 1.88). Our research indicates that more than half of scientific journals have developed misconduct policies, but that most of these policies do not define research misconduct and most of these policies were not generated by the journal.     

Assessing the Seriousness of Research Misconduct: Considerations for Sanction Assignment

Federal and institutional policies recommend the criterion of “seriousness” as a guide for sanction assignment in cases where researchers have been found to have committed research misconduct. Discrepancies in assessments of seriousness for similar acts of misconduct suggest the need to clarify what might be meant by the seriousness of research misconduct and how the criterion can be used to assign sanctions. This essay demonstrates how determinations of seriousness can differ depending on the set of ethical appeals employed and argues that an expanded lexicon for talking about the seriousness of research misconduct would help to promote fairness and consistency in sanction assignment. It concludes with some policy recommendations for those charged with research misconduct sanction assignment and for those who oversee research integrity at institutional levels.     

Prevention of preK-12 School Employee Sexual Misconduct and Abuse

ABSTRACT

The abuse of preK-12 students by school personnel is a pervasive, understudied topic that has behavioral, psychological and monetary consequences for victims, their families, and their communities. This special issue is the second of a two-part series and focuses on studies of school employee sexual misconduct prevention training programs and prevention issues and frameworks. This compilation of articles presents evidence that effective training can lead to improved awareness and behavior changes, concerns about policy implementation that may contribute to continued prevalence, and presents strategies and guidelines for prevention. These articles provide considerations for prevention including training, loopholes, and frameworks.     

Effect of Student Vulnerability on Perceptions of Teacher–Student Sexual Involvement

This study explored whether the vulnerability of an adolescent student affected perceptions of teacher sexual misconduct. Respondents (150 male and 150 female undergraduates) read scenarios depicting teacher sexual misconduct varied by respondent gender, gender dyad (male teacher–female student and female teacher–male student), and three levels of student vulnerability. The vulnerability of the student was found to have little impact on perceptions. On most variables, interactions emerged between respondent gender and gender dyad. Specifically, male respondents viewed the female teacher–male student dyad less negatively than the male teacher–female student dyad. Female respondents generally did not make distinctions based on gender dyad.     

企业违规行为与最优随机打击——一个实验研究

针对企业违规问题,在考虑企业风险偏好和决策理性程度异质的基础上建立模型,分析在面对监管打击时准完全理性企业群体和存在社会学习过程的有限理性企业群体的不同反应,借鉴最优随机打击理论,提出在资源约束条件下利用完全随机打击和随机分组打击两种方式对抑制两类企业群体的违规会得到不同的效果,通过实验对企业违规水平与监管部门的检查打击力度以及相同检查打击力度下不同实施方式间的关系进行验证。研究结果表明,企业违规水平与检查打击力度呈单调递减关系,但有限理性企业群体与检查打击力度呈二次曲线关系,准完全理性企业群体与检查打击力度呈线性关系;在相同的检查打击力度下,准完全理性群体在低检查打击力度时的违规比例会高于有限理性群体,在较高检查打击力度且完全随机检查打击方式下的违规比例会低于有限理性群体,在检查打击力度同样较高且采用随机分组打击方式的情况下,两群体的违规比例水平基本相当。此外,随机分组打击方式相对于完全随机打击方式对有限理性企业违规水平的降低效果更为明显。研究结论可以为监管部门选择打击方式提供参考。     

大学科研中的诚信问题

文章阐述了我国大学科研中存在的诚信缺失问题的基本状况、产生原因以及解决的途径,强调营造促 进诚信的科研环境是大学的责任。     

先秦儒家思想中“父子相隐”的伦理大义

“父子相隐”的儒家公案,蕴涵了许多儒家的伦理大义,也引起了很多方家的争论,但其所表达出的伦理意蕴,对现在的中国社会都依然有着巨大的影响。“父子相隐”至少体现了“孝”,“慈”,以及更为根本的“亲"三方面的伦理意义,同时也体现出了儒家伦理道德的价值取向。     

我国大学科研不端行为的类型、诱因及后果

大学科研不端行为的类型主要有权力寻租型、弄虚作假型、重复泡沫型和追名逐利型等。科研个体主观上的科研价值认识模糊、科研规范意识淡薄、科研荣辱之情缺乏,以及高校管理体制的政学合一、高校学术职称评定的集权操作和科研纠错机制的被动无力等客观原因是诱发科研不端行为发生的重要因素。科研不端行为既践踏了科研的尊严、毁坏了大学声誉,也阻碍了科技强国,需要我们予以深切的关注。