Showing papers in "Accountability in Research in 2020"
TL;DR: Specific revisions to the content of the ECCRI are recommended in order to provide a more detailed account of the tasks deserving of acknowledgment, but to improve the Code’s current definition of authorship.
Abstract: The practice of assigning authorship for a scientific publication tends to raise two normative questions: 1) "who should be credited as an author?"; 2) "who should not be credited as an author but should still be acknowledged?". With the publication of the revised version of The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ECCRI), standard answers to these questions have been called into question. This article examines the ways in which the ECCRI approaches these two questions and compares these approaches to standard definitions of "authorship" and "acknowledgment" in guidelines issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). In light of two scenarios and the problems posed by these kinds of "real-world" examples, we recommend specific revisions to the content of the ECCRI in order not only to provide a more detailed account of the tasks deserving of acknowledgment, but to improve the Code's current definition of authorship.
35 citations
TL;DR: This study highlights areas where efforts could be made to address policy issues, institutional barriers, and national biases to promote more productive collaboration in the global scientific community.
Abstract: Scientific research increasingly requires international collaboration among scientists. Less is known, however, about the barriers that impede such collaboration. In this pioneering study, more tha...
33 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that, in contrast to whistleblowing or conscientious objection, civil disobedience targets science’s injustice on a more systemic level and will ease critical evaluation of deviant actions as well as helping to evaluate deviance, defiance and discontent in science beyond issues of authorship.
Abstract: The distribution of credit, resources and opportunities in science is heavily skewed due to unjust practices and incentives, hardwired into science’s rules, guidelines and conventions. A form of re...
22 citations
TL;DR: A literature review on the ethical issues related to scientific authorship and a critical discussion about the application of codes of conduct, various understandings of culture, and contributing factors to unethical behavior are presented.
Abstract: The article at hand presents the results of a literature review on the ethical issues related to scientific authorship. These issues are understood as questions and/or concerns about obligations, values or virtues in relation to reporting, authorship and publication of research results. For this purpose, the Web of Science core collection was searched for English resources published between 1945 and 2018, and a total of 324 items were analyzed. Based on the review of the documents, ten ethical themes have been identified, some of which entail several ethical issues. Ranked on the basis of their frequency of occurrence these themes are: 1) attribution, 2) violations of the norms of authorship, 3) bias, 4) responsibility and accountability, 5) authorship order, 6) citations and referencing, 7) definition of authorship, 8) publication strategy, 9) originality, and 10) sanctions. In mapping these themes, the current article explores major ethical issue and provides a critical discussion about the application of codes of conduct, various understandings of culture, and contributing factors to unethical behavior.
21 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that the lack of clear and consistent policies regarding the attribution and evaluation of ECFA contributes to tensions amongst ECFA authors and obscures their preferred attributions of credit.
Abstract: Over the past several years, there has been a significant increase in the number of scientific articles with two or more authors claiming “Equal Co-First Authorship” (ECFA). This study provides a c...
21 citations
TL;DR: This collection of 237 freely available online RI educational resources is collected with the aim to describe them in as much detail as possible using a set of well-defined criteria, and developed a grid that gives a full description, based on 21 criteria, for each collected resource.
Abstract: In addition to effective training practices, well-structured educational resources are important for developing successful research integrity training programs. A considerable amount of educational...
21 citations
TL;DR: Researchers who had been designated as ECs were less likely to regard this practice as ethically questionable than those who had not, and journals, research teams, and research institutions should develop policies concerning EC designations.
Abstract: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,540 researchers concerning their experiences with and attitudes toward the ethics of equal contribution (EC) designations in publications. Over half the respondents (58.3%) said they had been designated as an EC at least once. Although most respondents agreed that EC designations can be a useful way of promoting collaborations (81.7%) or resolving disagreements about authorship order (63.3%), a substantial proportion of respondents (38.1%) regarded these designations as useful but ethically questionable. 31.7% of respondents said EC designations are ethically questionable because ECs are difficult to define or measure and 25.9% said they are ethically questionable because people rarely contribute equally. Most respondents (71.8%) agreed that it is unfair to name two people as ECs when they have not contributed equally and that journals (73.4%), research teams (69.5%), and research institutions (63%) should develop policies concerning EC designations. Views concerning the ethics and policies of EC designations were influenced by the race/ethnicity and position of respondents but not by gender. Researchers who had been designated as ECs were less likely to regard this practice as ethically questionable than those who had not.
20 citations
TL;DR: The issue of academic integrity in Asia and the Middle East is examined, presenting the challenges being confronted, and suggesting strategies that can be implemented.
Abstract: There seems to be an awakening in Asia and the Middle East (ME) region in the fields of research and publication. In these regions, scholarship and research have not been keeping up with the technologically developed Western world. In response to this realization, governments are heavily investing in academia and rapid academic expansion and reforms are being made to gain a foothold in the academic and research arena. This has led academicians to clamber to publish, which, in turn, has led to issues of academic integrity and intellectual property. It is with this development in mind that the current paper examines the issue of academic integrity in Asia and the Middle East, presenting the challenges being confronted, and suggesting strategies that can be implemented.
15 citations
TL;DR: This paper explores academic researchers’ perceptions of the relative importance of the individual responsibilities in the “Singapore Statement on Research Integrity” and identified research mentoring relationships and normative peer pressure as important integrity conduits.
Abstract: In this paper, we explore academic researchers’ perceptions of the relative importance of the individual responsibilities in the “Singapore Statement on Research Integrity”. The way researchers vie...
13 citations
TL;DR: The results were largely consistent with previous studies indicating that serious forms of fraud like data fabrication are relatively rare, and future survey-based studies should pay careful attention to the multidimensional nature of research fraud.
Abstract: Survey-based studies on research fraud often feature narrow operationalizations of misbehavior and use limited samples. Such factors potentially hinder the development of strategies aimed at reduci...
12 citations
TL;DR: The research findings suggest that some human factors do in fact exist and that these factors drive students to engage in certain unethical practices of plagiarism.
Abstract: To explore students' plagiarism in higher level education, we designed a quantitative study and collected data from enrolled university students from Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. This was done by distributing a web-link for an online survey (Google form) through WhatsApp social media mobile software. We applied structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques by using IBM SPSS AMOS 24.0.0 software to analyze collected data. The research findings suggest that some human factors do in fact exist and that these factors drive students to engage in certain unethical practices of plagiarism. Apart from poor training and lack of skills on the students' part, the pressures and the self-efficacy they face as they engage in research practices can make students susceptible to plagiarize.
Shinshu University1, University of Tokyo2, Teikyo University3, Juntendo University4, Tokyo Institute of Technology5, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency6, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine7, Astellas Pharma8, Tokai University9, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science10, Keio University11, Ochanomizu University12, Osaka University13, Tokyo Medical and Dental University14
TL;DR: This work explores issues from the viewpoint of members of committees investigating accusations of research misconduct (hereafter referred to as “investigation committees”) as well as persons overseeing the committees in Japan to engender productive discussions among experts in misconduct investigations, leading to a formulation of international standards for such investigation.
Abstract: In the United States, through nation-wide discussions, the procedures for handling allegations of research misconduct are now well established. Procedures are geared toward carefully treating both complainants and respondents fairly in accordance with the US framework. Other countries, which have their own cultural and legal framework, also need fair and legally compatible procedures for conducting investigations of allegations of research misconduct. Given the rapid growth of international collaboration in research, it is desirable to have a global standard, or common ground, for misconduct investigations. Institutions need clear guidance on important subjects such as what information should be included in the investigation reports, how the investigation committee should be organized once research misconduct allegation has been received, how to conduct the investigation, how the data and information obtained should be taken as evidence for vs. against misconduct, and what policies the investigation committee should follow. We explore these issues from the viewpoint of members of committees investigating accusations of research misconduct (hereafter referred to as "investigation committees") as well as persons overseeing the committees in Japan. We hope to engender productive discussions among experts in misconduct investigations, leading to a formulation of international standards for such investigation.
TL;DR: The results of the study suggest that there are several factors associated with retraction of scientific papers, which include unreliable results, duplication of results, plagiarism, forged authorship, error in the text,error in data and so on.
Abstract: Academics are expected to publish their research work. Hence, during the past few years, the scientific community has witnessed an ever-increasing growth and output in scientific papers. However, a large number of authors have violated ethical norms of research leading to retractions of their research works as well. The article focuses on the scientific fraud emanating from China and India in Health Sciences for a period of three years i.e. 2015 to 2018. The present data were extracted from http://retractiondatabase.org/using a search filter term "Research Articles OR Articles in Press" on the subject category of Health Sciences (HSC). A total of 318 retracted papers were retrieved and the result of the study indicated that majority (268 items) of the retracted papers in Health Science originated from China, whereas just 50 retracted papers originated from India as on 21-02-2019. While analyzing the data, 26 redundant articles from China have been removed that received retraction notices. Further, the results of the study suggest that there are several factors associated with retraction of scientific papers, which include unreliable results, duplication of results, plagiarism, forged authorship, error in the text, error in data and so on.
TL;DR: In multivariate analysis, participants with higher academic rank, those who had a good level of English or who attended English courses and those who attended workshops in scientific writing were less tolerant toward plagiarism.
Abstract: Assessing the extent of plagiarism within academics remains the first step in the fight against this behavior. The current study aimed to explore the attitudes of the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis (...
TL;DR: A qualitative content analysis of 22 conflict of interest policies from prominent organizations engaged in health-related research to compare and critically analyze the range of policy approaches for managing financial and non-financial interests.
Abstract: It is largely taken-for-granted, and sometimes advocated that the same strategies to identify, assess, and manage financial conflicts of interest may also be applied to so-called non-financial conf...
TL;DR: Research integrity is one of the primary pillars of scientific research and is the foundation for nearly all aspects of modern life, including public health, agriculture, education, and science.
Abstract: Research integrity is one of the primary pillars of scientific research Scientific research is the foundation for nearly all aspects of modern life, including public health, agriculture, education
TL;DR: Luxembourg’s national organization for research integrity has taken several proactive measures to help researchers nationally and globally, foster robust research and encourages other nations to similarly assist the research community.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of research from its routine marathon to a sprint, and this can increase the risk of both human error (mistakes) as well as research misconduct. In an effort to save time, researchers can be tempted to "cut corners", discount ethical complexity, or use methods and approaches that fall outside of good research practice. Ethically, it is vital that research outputs during a pandemic be robust because clinical decision-making may reflect on these research results. Luxembourg, while a small European nation, is known for its well-ranked global research and innovation. Accordingly, Luxembourg's national organization for research integrity has taken several proactive measures to help researchers nationally and globally, foster robust research. This paper reports on these measures and encourages other nations to similarly assist the research community.
TL;DR: It is concluded that the occurrence of RM is not uncommon, and efforts to create awareness about RM as well as to establish institutional structures and policies on RM are needed.
Abstract: We report on occurrence and correlates of self-reported research misconduct (RM) by 100 Kenyan researchers who had received ethics approval for an HIV research in the 5 years preceding the survey. ...
TL;DR: A comparative study between China and the United States based on information published over the internet lays out some problems existing in Chinese scientific societies concerning the promotion of research integrity.
Abstract: Scientific societies play an important role in promoting and fostering research integrity. Through a comparative study between China and the United States based on information published over the internet, this article lays out some problems existing in Chinese scientific societies concerning the promotion of research integrity. Research integrity assumes only a minor presence in societies' policy texts, terms that are incorporated tend to be too general, and concrete action often remains superficial. To remedy these problems, this article makes five recommendations for scientific societies to put more emphasis on research integrity: (1) formulating more professional and specific norms; (2) launching dedicated columns or adding related articles in journals; (3) holding seminars and briefings; (4) setting up specialized committees; and (5) strengthening research integrity education. To supplement the realization of these goals, the article also suggests possible incentive measures.
TL;DR: It is argued that, if these results are generalizable, RISDA might help prevent questionable toxic-site assessments, especially those of expensive-to-remediate toxins like PCE/TCE.
Abstract: Two of the most prevalent Superfund-site contaminants are carcinogenic solvents PCE (perchloroethylene) and TCE (trichloroethylene). Because their cleanup is difficult and costly, remediators have repeatedly falsified site-cleanup data, as Tetra Tech apparently did recently in San Francisco. Especially for difficult-to-remediate toxins, this paper hypothesizes that scientific misrepresentations occur in toxic-site assessments, before remediation even begins. To begin to test this hypothesis, the paper (1) defines scientific-data audits (assessing whether published conclusions contradict source data), (2) performs a preliminary scientific-data audit of toxic-site assessments by consultants Ninyo and Moore for developer Trammell Crow. Trammel Crow wants to build 550 apartments on an unremediated Pasadena, California site - once a premier US Navy weapons-testing/development facility. The paper (3) examines four key Ninyo-and-Moore conclusions, that removing only localized metals-hotspots will (3.1) remediate TCE/PCE; (3.2) leave low levels of them; (3.3) clean the northern half of soil, making it usable for grading, and (3.4) ensure site residents have lifetime cancer risks no greater than 1 in 3,000. The paper (4) shows that source data contradict all four conclusions. After summarizing the benefits of routine, independent, scientific-data audits (RISDA), the paper (5) argues that, if these results are generalizable, RISDA might help prevent questionable toxic-site assessments, especially those of expensive-to-remediate toxins like PCE/TCE.
TL;DR: This commentary outlines what the increased monitoring should consist of, and the practical constraints associated with executing these monitoring functions, and defends the idea that adequate post-initial-review monitoring requires greater REB involvement.
Abstract: The objective of this commentary is to provide a framework and ethical justification for a more proactive model of continual, active monitoring of research. We outline what the increased monitoring should consist of, and the practical constraints associated with executing these monitoring functions. We also defend the idea that adequate post-initial-review monitoring requires greater REB involvement, rather than trust and researcher's assurances.
TL;DR: Although there were increasing trends of grants and research article publications in the last 10 years, journal-level quality metrics showed no improvements and suggested decreasing trends during the last half decade, calling for an increased commitment from political and academic leadership to promote quality research in Nepal.
Abstract: Institutions of higher learning are critical in promoting a knowledge-driven economy through research and training. Nepali universities receive funding from the University Grants Commission, Nepal ...
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that replication and replicability cannot be treated as uniformly applicable and that assessment and improvement of research quality invites various tools and strategies, among those, replication is important, but not omnipresent.
Abstract: Responding to the so-called reproducibility crisis, various disciplines have proposed - and some have implemented - changes in research practices and policies. These changes have been aligned with a restricted and rather uniform conceptualization of what science is, and knowledge is made. However, knowledge-making is not a uniform affair. Here, we reflect on a salient fault line running through Wissenschaft (the whole of academic knowledge making, spanning the sciences and humanities), grounded in the relationship between the acts of research and writing, separating research as reporting from research as writing. We do so to demonstrate that replication and replicability cannot be treated as uniformly applicable and that assessment and improvement of research quality invites various tools and strategies. Among those, replication is important, but not omnipresent. Considering these other tools and strategies in context allows us to situate the value of replication for knowledge making as a whole.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study aimed to test the efficacy of mobile eye-tracking devices in detecting academic dishonesty in tertiary educational institutions in the Arab world and beyond, and the results showed that mobile eye tracking can be used to identify the most dishonest students.
Abstract: Academic dishonesty has been identified as a significant problem for tertiary educational institutions in the Arab World and beyond. This study aimed to test the efficacy of mobile eye-tracking tec...
TL;DR: The consent forms evaluated in this study were long, and readability scores were low.
Abstract: Informed consent forms (ICFs) in clinical trials are the only objective testimony whether the information provided to participants is comprehensive and presented in an accessible language. We evalu...
RMIT University1, University of Hong Kong2, Ohio State University3, University of Hawaii4, Shinshu University5, University of California, San Diego6, Aga Khan University7, Seoul National University of Education8, Nanyang Technological University9, Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency10, University of Waikato11, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center12, Hong Kong Information Services Department13, National Taiwan Normal University14
TL;DR: The key anticipated outcome was to advance the conversation surrounding research integrity among academic institutions and regulators in Asian and Pacific Rim nations by meeting participation, participant satisfaction, and articulation of next steps for the APRI network.
Abstract: In 2017, the University of Hong Kong and the University of California San Diego co-hosted the first Asian meeting of the recently formed Asia Pacific Research Integrity (APRI) network in Ho...
TL;DR: The study indicated that track the relationship among factors in the research system can provide the opportunity to explain research misconduct on a transitional path from macro to micro level.
Abstract: This study aims to determine the relationship among factors affecting research misconduct within the research system of medical sciences in Iran. Using phenomenography, the perceptions of individuals involved in the activities of macro, meso, and micro levels of the research system were investigated and 13 affecting factors were identified. The DEMATEL method revealed complicated and intertwined relationships among these factors based on the experts' judgment. Most of the macro and meso factors were in the cause group and most of the micro factors were in the effect group. The results showed that critical factors such as "Monitoring and dealing with research misconduct," "Transparency in research," "Management of journals" and "Ethical considerations in the publication of research results" escalate research misconduct. The study indicated that track the relationship among factors in the research system can provide the opportunity to explain research misconduct on a transitional path from macro to micro level.
TL;DR: Vice-rectorates for research in Peruvian universities should take corrective or preventive measures to promote the production of high-quality papers by part of their academic staff.
Abstract: Predatory open access journals and predatory conferences' main purpose is to make profit rather than promoting good science. In Peru, the University Law 30220 asks that professors and lecturers undertake research duties at universities. Hence, nowadays part of this academic staff is required to write scientific articles. However, not all of them are experienced on how to write a scholarly paper. Thus, in the rush to comply with the publication requirements that their individual institutions demand from them, a great number of these professors and lecturers are likely to fall prey of predatory publishing, which already is happening in other developing nations. This publishing method is not only unethical because it produces low-quality articles but also is an egregious mismanagement of the resources that universities allocate to fund research. Moreover, the time and effort that the academic staff put to the production of low-quality papers also completely go to waste. Professors and lecturers who follow these bad practices should be penalized; this also avoids the emergence of fraudulent research authorities. Thus, vice-rectorates for research in Peruvian universities should take corrective or preventive measures to promote the production of high-quality papers by part of their academic staff.
TL;DR: Hosseini and Lewis as discussed by the authors examined authorship in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ECCRI) and highlighted challenges in defining accountability and responsibility for contributors.
Abstract: Hosseini and Lewis (2020) examined authorship in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ECCRI), highlighting challenges in defining accountability and responsibility for contributors ...
TL;DR: The study shows that “champions” indeed enable research but simultaneously also risk becoming the downfall of the collaborative endeavors that have been set up, and uncover and analyze some of the most common types of organizational failure found in the two failed scientific megaprojects investigated.
Abstract: "Big science" has prompted scientific collaboration, ultimately leading to multidisciplinary, co-operative science. This has paved the way for organizational "champions", leading experts with the ability of driving organizational change. This study investigates the involvement of how "champions" contributed to the rapid failures of the 1980s case of the cold fusion initiative NCFI in Utah, and the 2000s case of BBMRI.se, the Swedish node of a biobank harmonization initiative, and how these two examples would become "failed scientific megaprojects". This descriptive comparative case study has utilized available literature and documents covering the two megaprojects, with some supplemental interviews. The study shows that "champions" indeed enable research but simultaneously also risk becoming the downfall of the collaborative endeavors that have been set up. Moreover, this study has been able to uncover and analyze some of the most common types of organizational failure found in the two failed scientific megaprojects investigated. The common lesson inferred from both cases is that the unquestionable trust placed into some of the "champions" led to a lack of procedural transparency and professional candidness, ultimately leading to a loss of trust from their respective funding bodies.