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Tang G. The punishment intensity for research misconduct and its related factors: An exploratory study on hospitals in Mainland China. Account Res 2024:1-22. [PMID: 39003763 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2024.2377723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have found that factors such as gender and academic positions do not influence the severity of administrative actions taken by institutions. However, this study provides partly inconsistent evidence. It focuses on incidents of research misconduct in hospitals across Mainland China and explores factors related to punishment using a large cross-sectional dataset (N = 815). Regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between authorship order and the punishment intensity (p < 0.05). Under specific conditions, there was a significant correlation between the professional title (senior) and punishment intensity (p = 0.001), and an interaction between professional title and types of research misbehavior. Further analysis of simple effects showed that, in cases of fabrication and falsification, and combinations of multiple research misbehavior, researchers with senior titles received significantly lighter punishments compared to those with junior, intermediate, and associate senior titles (p < 0.05). The study unveils the potential accountability patterns (collective accountability and tiered punishment) that may be adopted by hospitals in Mainland China, as well as the challenges faced in ensuring fairness, emphasizing the importance of independent investigative bodies for incidents of research misconduct, and advocating for fairness as a priority in governance of research misconduct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengyan Tang
- Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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2
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Chen L, Li Y, Wang J, Li Y, Tan X, Guo X. Knowledge, attitudes and practices about research misconduct among medical residents in southwest China: a cross-sectional study. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:284. [PMID: 38486182 PMCID: PMC10941492 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05277-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the emergence of numerous scientific outputs, growing attention is paid to research misconduct. This study aimed to investigate knowledge, attitudes and practices about research misconduct among medical residents in southwest China. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in southwest China from November 2022 through March 2023. The links to the questionnaire were sent to the directors of the teaching management department in 17 tertiary hospitals. Answers were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the factors associated with research misconduct among residents. RESULTS 6200 residents were enrolled in the study, and 88.5% of participants attended a course on research integrity, but 53.7% of participants admitted to having committed at least one form of research misconduct. Having a postgraduate or above, publishing papers as the first author or corresponding author, attending a course on research integrity, lower self-reported knowledge on research integrity and lower perceived consequences for research misconduct were positively correlated to research misconduct. Serving as a primary investigator for a research project was negatively associated with research misconduct. Most residents (66.3%) agreed that the reason for research misconduct is that researchers lack research ability. CONCLUSIONS The high self-reported rate of research misconduct among residents in southwest China underscores a universal necessity for enhancing research integrity courses in residency programs. The ineffectiveness of current training in China suggests a possible global need for reevaluating and improving educational approaches to foster research integrity. Addressing these challenges is imperative not only for the credibility of medical research and patient care in China but also for maintaining the highest ethical standards in medical education worldwide. Policymakers, educators, and healthcare leaders on a global scale should collaborate to establish comprehensive strategies that ensure the responsible conduct of research, ultimately safeguarding the integrity of medical advancements and promoting trust in scientific endeavors across borders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulin Chen
- Department of Preventive Health, The Second Nanning People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yizhao Li
- Department of Science and Education, The Second Nanning People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Science and Education, The Second Nanning People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Science and Education, The Second Nanning People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Tan
- Department of Science and Education, The Second Nanning People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Guo
- Department of Science and Education, The Second Nanning People's Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People's Republic of China.
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Liu X, Guo Y, Gao W, Xie Y, Zhao H, Du J. Current situation and influence factors of scientific integrity in China: A multicenter survey. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs 2024; 11:100365. [PMID: 38304226 PMCID: PMC10831262 DOI: 10.1016/j.apjon.2023.100365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Cases of scientific misconduct have occurred frequently, especially in the field of medical research. We collected electronic questionnaires from 1257 medical staff in 43 cities and obtained a cross-sectional data set of their understanding of scientific integrity in research. This study aims to propose recommendations for establishing a mature oversight system for research integrity. Methods The study employed multiple regression analysis to explore the effect of different factors on the perception of four types of research integrity. Results Female participants had a higher understanding of project application integrity than men (P < 0.001). Participants in clinical departments had a lower understanding of project application integrity than those in nursing departments (clinical vs. nursing, P = 0.046). Participants with a junior college degree or below had a lower understanding than those who had a postgraduate degree and doctoral degree (junior college or below vs. postgraduate degree, P < 0.001; junior college or below vs. doctoral degree, P < 0.001). Conclusions We found that female, medical technology department, advanced education background, and advanced professional titles were significantly associated with a higher understanding of scientific integrity in research in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiao Liu
- School of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuxin Guo
- School of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenjuan Gao
- Institute of Higher Education, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xie
- Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Office of Academic Research, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Beijing, China
| | - Heling Zhao
- Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Office of Academic Research, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Du
- Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Office of Academic Research, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Beijing, China
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Wang H, Guan J. The impact of "Five No's for Publication" on academic misconduct. Account Res 2023:1-19. [PMID: 37943174 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2023.2279569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
China initiated the "Five No's for Publication" in December 2015 as a response to rising incidents of retraction. Use the number of retracted publications and their original publication time as proxies to investigate the effect of the Five No's policy on academic misconduct. We searched the Retraction Watch Database for research articles published by Chinese scholars from 1 March 2010 to 29 February 2020. The short- and long-term trends of the number of publications were presented by conducting an interrupted time series analysis in quarterly time units. Of 4,215 retracted papers with Chinese authors, 2,881 involving academic misconduct were identified. In the first quarter (12.01.2015-02.29.2016) after the implementation of the Five No's, an average reduction of 55.80 (p < 0.001) publications that involve academic misconduct was observed, although there was an increase in the trend of publications of 3.34 per quarter (p < 0.01) in the long run (12.01.2015-02.29.2020), relative to the pre-intervention period (03.01.2010-11.30.2015). The validity of these results was further supported by three different robustness checks. China's government should strengthen enforcement, promote education, and improve the scientific evaluation system to consolidate the influence of the Five No's policy and foster an ethical research environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wang
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Guan
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- The National Population and Health Scientific Data Center (Clinical Medicine), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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He C, Xu J, Zhou L. Understanding China's construction of an academic integrity system: A grounded theory study on national level policies. LEARNED PUBLISHING 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/leap.1540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chen He
- School of Information Management Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Jie Xu
- School of Information Management Wuhan University Wuhan China
| | - Lihong Zhou
- School of Information Management Wuhan University Wuhan China
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Han S, Li K, Gao S, Zhang Y, Yang X, Li C, Wang Y, Li L, Zhao Y, Wang Z. Research misconduct knowledge and associated factors among nurses in China: A national cross-sectional survey. Appl Nurs Res 2023; 69:151658. [PMID: 36635013 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AIM To measure the knowledge level of research misconduct and explore its associated factors among nurses. BACKGROUND Engagement in research misconduct by nurses may transfer to professional misconduct in the clinical setting, thereby jeopardizing the quality of patient care. We still know little about the research misconduct situation among nurses. Previous attempts also hardly reflected participants' real knowledge level of research misconduct. METHODS We applied multistage sampling (province, hospital, and participants) in this cross-sectional survey, and recruited 4112 nurses from 200 tertiary hospitals in 25 provinces. RESULTS The average knowledge score of the participants was 15.99 ± 5.79. Associated factors of scientific misconduct knowledge score included career situation, educational level, fertility status, research activities index, and perceived consequences for research misconduct. CONCLUSION It is urgent and necessary to design continuing research integrity training for nurses. Hospital managers and policy-makers should pay more attention to key trainees, including newcomers, nurses from less developed groups and institutions, and those from clinical departments. Training designers should also consider how to help nurses with offspring balance their family and work, and should not neglect the training for nurses with extensive research experience. In addition to conveying knowledge and information, the training can integrate cognitive education of research misconduct to improve the effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu Han
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Emergency, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Shuai Gao
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yizhu Zhang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xianxia Yang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ce Li
- Department of Cardiac Adult Postoperative Surgical Recovery Room, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Liyu Li
- Nursing Department, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Yajie Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Zhiwen Wang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University Health Science Centre for Evidence-based Nursing: A Joanna Briggs Institute Affiliated Group, Beijing 100191, China.
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Rodrigues F, Gupta P, Khan AP, Chatterjee T, Sandhu NK, Gupta L. The Cultural Context of Plagiarism and Research Misconduct in the Asian Region. J Korean Med Sci 2023; 38:e88. [PMID: 36974397 PMCID: PMC10042729 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plagiarism is one of the most frequent forms of research misconduct in South and East Asian countries. This narrative review examines the factors contributing to research misconduct, emphasizing plagiarism, particularly in South, East and Southeast Asian countries. We conducted a PubMed and Scopus search using the terms plagiarism, Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, research misconduct and retractions in January of 2022. Articles with missing abstracts, incomplete information about plagiarism, publication dates before 2010, and those unrelated to South, East, and Southeast Asian countries were excluded. The retraction watch database was searched for articles retracted between 9th January 2020 to 9th January 2022. A total of 159 articles were identified, of which 21 were included in the study using the database search criteria mentioned above. The review of articles identified a lack of training in scientific writing and research ethics, publication pressure, permissive attitudes, and inadequate regulatory measures as the primary reasons behind research misconduct in scientific publications. Plagiarism remains a common cause of unethical publications and retractions in regions of Asia (namely South, East and Southeast). Researchers lack training in scientific writing, and substantial gaps exist in understanding various forms of plagiarism, which heavily contribute to the problem. There is an urgent need to foster high research ethics standards and adhere to journal policies. Providing appropriate training in scientific writing among researchers may help improve the knowledge of different types of plagiarism and promote the use of antiplagiarism software, leading to a substantial reduction in the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flinta Rodrigues
- Department of Medicine, Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Prakash Gupta
- Department of Medicine, Saint Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart, Baguio, Benguet, Philippines
- Department of Medicine, Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation-College of Medicine, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines
| | - Afzal Parvez Khan
- Department of Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India
| | - Tulika Chatterjee
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL, USA
| | | | - Latika Gupta
- Department of Rheumatology, Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK
- City Hospital, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK
- Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Kondakci Y, Zayim Kurtay M, Kaya Kasikci S, Önen Ö. Graduate student perceptions of preparedness for responsible conduct of research: a mixed methods study. ETHICS & BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2022.2149524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasar Kondakci
- Department of Educational Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Turkey
| | - Merve Zayim Kurtay
- Department of Educational Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Turkey
| | - Sevgi Kaya Kasikci
- Department of Educational Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Turkey
| | - Özgür Önen
- Department of Educational Sciences, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur Turkey
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Han S, Li K, Wang Z. Dataset of research misconduct knowledge and associated factors among nurses in China: A national cross-sectional survey. Data Brief 2022; 43:108471. [PMID: 35928343 PMCID: PMC9344333 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Engagement in research misconduct by nurses may results in professional misconduct in the clinical setting, thereby jeopardizing the quality of patient care. We still know little about the research misconduct situation among nurses. Previous attempts also hardly reflected participants' actual knowledge level of research misconduct. This data article presents a novel dataset of a cross-sectional study investigating the research misconduct knowledge level and associated factors among nurses in China. Between March 2018 and March 2021, a national survey was conducted at 200 tertiary hospitals in 25 provinces. A multistage sampling (province, hospital, and participants) was applied and 4,112 nurses were recruited in this study. Participants completed questionnaires online through smartphones scanning a Quick Response (QR) code. The survey consisted of demographic characteristics, research activities, scientific misconduct knowledge, perceived reasons for research misconduct and perceived consequences for research misconduct. Data from 3,640 nurses were reserved in the dataset after data cleaning. This dataset may provide comprehensive information on research misconduct knowledge and associated factors, and important evidence for designing research integrity continuing training for nurses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyu Han
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Emergency, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Zhiwen Wang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Peking University Health Science Centre for Evidence-Based Nursing: A Joanna Briggs Institute Affiliated Group, Beijing 100191, China
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Bradshaw MS, Payne SH. Detecting fabrication in large-scale molecular omics data. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260395. [PMID: 34847169 PMCID: PMC8631639 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fraud is a pervasive problem and can occur as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or theft. The scientific community is not exempt from this universal problem and several studies have recently been caught manipulating or fabricating data. Current measures to prevent and deter scientific misconduct come in the form of the peer-review process and on-site clinical trial auditors. As recent advances in high-throughput omics technologies have moved biology into the realm of big-data, fraud detection methods must be updated for sophisticated computational fraud. In the financial sector, machine learning and digit-frequencies are successfully used to detect fraud. Drawing from these sources, we develop methods of fabrication detection in biomedical research and show that machine learning can be used to detect fraud in large-scale omic experiments. Using the gene copy-number data as input, machine learning models correctly predicted fraud with 58-100% accuracy. With digit frequency as input features, the models detected fraud with 82%-100% accuracy. All of the data and analysis scripts used in this project are available at https://github.com/MSBradshaw/FakeData.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Bradshaw
- Computer Science Department, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Samuel H. Payne
- Biology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
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Ali I, Sultan P, Aboelmaged M. A bibliometric analysis of academic misconduct research in higher education: Current status and future research opportunities. Account Res 2020; 28:372-393. [PMID: 33048578 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2020.1836620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The literature on academic misconduct has seen unprecedented growth over the past 20 years. As the research into this vital topic has grown, there have been a few reviews attempting to consolidate the literature. While the extant reviews have been insightful, a careful analysis reveals that these have somewhat different emphases, methods, and time intervals. Our study employs a bibliometric analysis approach on a large set of studies (779) published between 2000 and 2020. The analysis uncovers the key clusters, countries' co-authorship and evolution of research over the past two decades. It enriches contemporary knowledge on multifaceted issues of academic misconduct and offers resonant insights for academics, students, and policymakers. The paper concludes with several promising opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Ali
- School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia
| | - Parves Sultan
- School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia
| | - Mohamed Aboelmaged
- College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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