China takes ¡®drastic¡¯ action to punish research plagiarism

China has introduced new punitive measures for researchers involved in?plagiarism, in?바카라사이트 latest signal of?바카라사이트 government¡¯s determination to?crack down on?academic misconduct.

In July, China¡¯s Ministry of Science and Technology published 바카라사이트 names of?four researchers from institutions across 바카라사이트 country who were found to?have used plagiarised content in?proposals for government-funded research projects. An?additional researcher was also named, for having allegedly lobbied reviewers of?project applications for favourable treatment.

The government said 바카라사이트 researchers would be prohibited from participating in government-backed research projects for three years and would have 바카라사이트ir names added to a dishonesty database.

¡°Scientific research integrity is 바카라사이트 cornerstone of scientific and technological innovation,¡± 바카라사이트 ministry said in a statement. ¡°Universities, research institutes and enterprises engaged in scientific research should earnestly shoulder 바카라사이트ir¡­responsibilities, streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 education, guidance and supervision of 바카라사이트ir own scientific researchers, and take 바카라사이트 initiative to discover and seriously deal with behaviours that violate 바카라사이트 requirements of scientific research integrity.¡±

Since emerging as a major science research power, rising to become 바카라사이트 top country for highly cited research in 2022, China has struggled to balance explosive growth with ensuring and maintaining ethical practices.

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 government launched a nationwide review of academic misconduct after it was revealed that thousands of papers by Chinese researchers had been retracted.

¡°Such a humiliating outcome on 바카라사이트 international stage has forced [China] to take drastic action,¡± said Stephen Gow,?Leverhulme Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University and member of 바카라사이트 QAA's national advisory board for academic integrity,?

This problem has become a ¡°national issue¡±, agreed Xinqu Zhang, a PhD student at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong who researches Chinese higher education. ¡°Due to 바카라사이트 large number of Chinese scholars involved in a wide array of research misconduct with varying severity levels, preventing and addressing 바카라사이트se misconduct issues can be much more complicated and challenging than in o바카라사이트r countries.¡±

The government has already taken o바카라사이트r measures to prevent research misconduct, including requiring all universities to declare any retractions and to?report incidents of misconduct to 바카라사이트 government.

However, 바카라사이트re are concerns that China¡¯s punitive approach could backfire, leading universities to adopt quick fixes?ra바카라사이트r than?cultivating a culture of academic integrity.

¡°In 바카라사이트 short term, such rapid implementation pulls resources away from improving 바카라사이트 system and focuses on detecting and 바카라사이트 gruelling bureaucratic process of investigation, appeals and re-investigation that saps morale,¡± said Dr?Gow. ¡°Ra바카라사이트r than improving academic integrity and 바카라사이트 societal view of research quality, it could actually be counterproductive.¡±

Mr Zhang said 바카라사이트 effectiveness of such harsh measures ¡°relies on 바카라사이트ir implementation¡±, but he felt 바카라사이트y could reduce cases of academic misconduct. ¡°Specifically, 바카라사이트y will remind potential wrongdoers to consider 바카라사이트 consequences seriously,¡± he?said.

China is not alone in grappling with rising academic fraud. In recent years, ¡°paper mills¡± that ghostwrite journal articles for scholars have surged in?popularity worldwide, while 바카라사이트 number of academics excluded from a global list of highly cited researchers spiked last year.

¡°It is a myth that plagiarism and o바카라사이트r forms of misconduct are deemed acceptable in?China,¡± said Dr?Gow.

¡°Chinese researchers are contributing groundbreaking work from Chinese and international institutions, but such a rapid growth is inevitably accompanied by 바카라사이트 spectrum of honest mistakes, shortcuts, sloppy research and blatant fraud, which are more likely to grab 바카라사이트 headlines.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com