Scientific misconduct

For dishonesty in educational settings, see Academic dishonesty. For unscientific claims presented as science, see Pseudoscience.
A reconstruction of the skull purportedly belonging to the Piltdown Man, a long-lasting case of scientific misconduct

Scientific misconduct is the violation of the standard codes of scholarly conduct and ethical behavior in the publication of professional scientific research. It is violation of scientific integrity: violation of the scientific method and of research ethics in science, including in the design, conduct, and reporting of research.

A Lancet review on Handling of Scientific Misconduct in Scandinavian countries provides the following sample definitions,[1] reproduced in The COPE report 1999:[2]

  • Danish definition: "Intention or gross negligence leading to fabrication of the scientific message or a false credit or emphasis given to a scientist"
  • Swedish definition: "Intention[al] distortion of the research process by fabrication of data, text, hypothesis, or methods from another researcher's manuscript form or publication; or distortion of the research process in other ways."

The consequences of scientific misconduct can be damaging for perpetrators and journal audience[3][4] and for any individual who exposes it.[5] In addition there are public health implications attached to the promotion of medical or other interventions based on false or fabricated research findings. Scientific misconduct can result in loss of public trust in the integrity of science.[6]

Three percent of the 3,475 research institutions that report to the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Research Integrity, indicate some form of scientific misconduct.[7] However the ORI will only investigate allegations of impropriety where research was funded by federal grants. They routinely monitor such research publications for red flags and their investigation is subject to a statute of limitations. Other private organizations like the Committee of Medical Journal Editors (COJE) can only police their own members.[8]

  1. ^ Nylenna, M.; Andersen, D.; Dahlquist, G.; Sarvas, M.; Aakvaag, A. (1999). "Handling of scientific dishonesty in the Nordic countries. National Committees on Scientific Dishonesty in the Nordic Countries". Lancet. 354 (9172): 57–61. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)07133-5. PMID 10406378. S2CID 36326829.
  2. ^ "Coping with fraud" (PDF). The COPE Report 1999: 11–18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-09-02. It is 10 years, to the month, since Stephen Lock ... Reproduced with kind permission of the Editor, The Lancet.
  3. ^ Xie, Yun (2008-08-12). "What are the consequences of scientific misconduct?". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  4. ^ Redman, B. K.; Merz, J. F. (2008). "SOCIOLOGY: Scientific Misconduct: Do the Punishments Fit the Crime?" (PDF). Science. 321 (5890): 775. doi:10.1126/science.1158052. PMID 18687942. S2CID 206512870.
  5. ^ "Consequences of Whistleblowing for the Whistleblower in Misconduct in Science Cases". Research Triangle Institute. 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
  6. ^ Morreim, E H; Winer, Jeffrey C (2023). "Guest authorship as research misconduct: definitions and possible solutions". BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. 28 (1): 1–4. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2021-111826. ISSN 2515-446X.
  7. ^ Singh, Dr. Yatendra Kumar; Kumar Dubey, Bipin (2021). Introduction of Research Methods and Publication Ethics. New Delhi: Friends Publications (India). p. 90. ISBN 978-93-90649-38-9.
  8. ^ Part III. Department of Health and Human Services Archived 2021-10-22 at the Wayback Machine