Does research misconduct go uninvestigated?
Suspicions of Responsible Conduct of Research violations are raised at universities quit often but rarely reported.
Text terhi hautamäki english translation marko saajanaho kuva istock
In May, the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK published their Research Integrity Barometer, whose associated survey was conducted in the spring of 2023. The results indicate that while researchers are well informed on research integrity matters, many wish for more education and discussion regarding research integrity.
Quite many ethical issues were identified. 43 percent of the survey respondents had suspected carelessness regarding research materials or results. The second most common suspicion was related to cases of a researcher’s name being unduly added to a publication’s list of authors. 34 percent reported suspicions of plagiarism. 24 percent of the respondents had suspected falsified results, and 18 percent had suspected fabricated observations.
Violations of the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) are suspected surprisingly often but rarely reported. Why are such issues not brought up more often, TENK Coordinator Anni Sairio?
Fear of consequence appears to be the obvious reason. By reporting an issue, the reporter may find themselves in a difficult situation, and not much can be done about this. The system requires reports to be sent under one’s one own name unless the situation is totally exceptional.
Does a significant amount of research misconduct go uninvestigated?
According TENK’s statistics, it most likely does not. It is often determined that suspected cases do not fall under RCR violations.
Proven cases of misconduct are quite rare. There are certainly ambiguities and problems. These are often related to interpersonal conflicts and work community challenges, which should be resolved by human resources.
Problems are best prevented in advance. A good research culture should be fostered. Talking can solve many dilemmas and misunderstandings.
Many of the survey respondents raised concerns about competition, rush, and limited resources in the scientific community. What kind of research integrity problems may be caused by these?
Competition can mount pressure to publish often in large quantities, which may cause shortcuts to be taken where they should not. For example, publishing without every author’s approval of the manuscript. Power imbalance may be involved – a younger researcher feels a more experienced colleague takes credit for their work. Rush, competition, and limited resources are all related and threaten the stability of research.
Universities and research centres employ research integrity advisers. What kind of help do they provide?
The adviser is there for confidential discussion. You can contact the adviser if you need guidance on any research integrity matters and ask for advice if you feel something did not go quite right but are not sure what to do. Advisers have an obligation to stay neutral. They do not adopt a position on suspicions.
What should you do if you suspect an RCR violation?
Each case is investigated in the organisation the situation takes place in. First, I recommend contacting your research integrity adviser. The report can be filed through a TENK form on the organisation’s website. The senior manager, such as the university’s rector, then decides within 30 days whether to initiate a preliminary investigation. The preliminary investigation must be conducted in two months.
If the case progresses to the proper investigation, another three months may be required. A displeased party may request TENK’s statement if they wish. If an RCR violation is confirmed, any sanctions are decided by the organisation’s manager.
