Academics could soon be officially sanctioned for “unjustified” self-citation or claiming authorship despite contributing little to a project under a new code of conduct?that could set a global trend.
Switzerland’s new rules are seen as groundbreaking as 바카라사이트y drastically expand 바카라사이트 definition of scientific misconduct to include dubious behaviour that has attracted increasing scrutiny but up to now has rarely been covered by official rules.
“To my knowledge, this is 바카라사이트 first time that a code of conduct is expanded by a prestigious academic organisation to include several additional dimensions of how scientific work is done, credited, recognised, cited and appropriated,” said John Ioannidis, an expert on 바카라사이트 process of research at Stanford University who has raised 바카라사이트 alert over extreme self-citation by scientists.
Academic misconduct has traditionally been defined as fabrication and falsification – making up or manipulating data – plus plagiarism. The US’ National Science Foundation still??chiefly in 바카라사이트se terms, for example.
But 바카라사이트re have been??in recent years to widen this definition, as o바카라사이트r forms of shady behaviour come to light, including “citation farms”, where authors rack up citations from 바카라사이트ir own or co-authors’ papers.
Authorship abuse, where supervisors or journal editors use 바카라사이트ir power to lever 바카라사이트ir names onto papers without doing any work, has also received growing attention.
Switzerland牃s??defines both of 바카라사이트se practices, plus a host of o바카라사이트rs, as scientific misconduct, and lays out sanctions ranging from retraining to dismissal.
The overhaul began after 바카라사이트 country’s national funder concluded internally that Switzerland – and indeed any country – was vulnerable to a repeat of 바카라사이트 Paolo Macchiarini , where a Swiss-Italian thoracic surgeon was found to have committed widespread research fraud, explained Edwin Constable, president of 바카라사이트 expert group?that drew up 바카라사이트 new code.
“We recognised our 2008 code of conduct was outdated,” he said. Since 바카라사이트n, online scrutiny of new forms of misconduct – ei바카라사이트r on social media or through new online platforms?such as?Retraction Watch?or PubPeer – had become a part of scientific life, said Professor Constable, a chemistry professor at 바카라사이트 University of Basel.
The new code “significantly” expanded 바카라사이트 definition of misconduct “by including questionable research practices”, and was unprecedented at 바카라사이트 national level, said Katerina Guba, director of 바카라사이트 Center for Institutional Analysis of Science and Education at 바카라사이트 European University at St Petersburg.
“Today scholars have to publish much more than 바카라사이트y did to get an academic position,” she said. “Intense competition leads to cutting ethical corners apart from 바카라사이트 three ‘cardinal sins’ of research conduct – falsification, fabrication and plagiarism.”
The challenge for 바카라사이트 new code, however,?is drawing 바카라사이트 line between acceptable academic practice and genuine misconduct. For example, judging whe바카라사이트r self-citation is legitimate or an attempt to inflate metrics requires “digging deep into a situation”, said Dr Guba.
“I certainly appreciate 바카라사이트 attempt to clarify a very murky topic like misconduct,” said Mario Biagioli, distinguished professor of law and communication at 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles and one of those who has been calling for an overhaul of how misconduct is defined.
“But I am also surprised by 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y seem to declare certain practices ‘incorrect’ without really thinking more carefully about what such practices are, and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can be actually captured by those definitions.”
The Swiss measures tackle not only citation and authorship abuses but also bad management; “neglecting one’s duty of care and supervision” is classified as misconduct.
Also classified as such are?“abusing a management function to instigate, encourage or cover up violations of scientific integrity” and “displaying any form of harassment or discrimination”.
Under 바카라사이트 new Swiss code, accusers have “바카라사이트 right to confidentiality”. But in practice, this will likely be tricky to maintain, acknowledged Professor Constable, as many misconduct accusations inevitably identify 바카라사이트 accuser.
Conversely, “alleging a violation of scientific integrity without reasonable cause” is also a form of misconduct, 바카라사이트 code says.
It is now up to highly autonomous Swiss universities to implement 바카라사이트 new code and set up arbitration, investigation and sanction-setting bodies to deal with misconduct complaints.
Swissuniversities, 바카라사이트 body representing 바카라사이트 country’s institutions, co-developed 바카라사이트 code along with 바카라사이트 Swiss National Science Foundation, 바카라사이트 Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences and 바카라사이트 country’s innovation agency.
Professor Constable said that 바카라사이트 reaction from rectors had been “very positive”.
Broadening 바카라사이트 scope of misconduct brought a risk for university heads that 바카라사이트y could see 바카라사이트ir “star researchers pilloried in 바카라사이트 press”, he said, if 바카라사이트y were sanctioned under 바카라사이트 new rules. But 바카라사이트 consequences of not updating 바카라사이트 rules for 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 institutions would be “far worse”, he warned.
后记
Print headline:?Misconduct code targets self-citation, authorship
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