Research misconduct, a growing and harmful problem

Research misconduct and questionable practice appear to be increasingly prevalent. This has a direct impact on public trust in science, the quality of research and the effective use of research funds. Likewise, depending on the field of study, it can have broader negative implications for society as a whole. But how widespread is research misconduct? What are the reasons behind the rise seen in recent years? And how are institutions tackling the problem?

These are some of the questions that Eduard Aibar, professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) Faculty of Arts and Humanities and member of the Philosophy for Contemporary Challenges (MUSSOL) research group, has been looking to answer in his recent open-access articles.

The reasons behind research misconduct

Research misconduct has increasingly become a concern for both the scientific community and the general public in recent years. Some of the most striking cases have been reported by mainstream media, and the number of studies and publications on this matter has increased exponentially worldwide. Furthermore, the research community has been trying to identify and report unethical behaviour at conferences and in new specialist journals and initiatives.

"Research misconduct isn't easy to define. On the one hand, the classical definition describes it as the manipulation and fabrication of data or results, as well as plagiarism," said Aibar. "But, on the other, there are now new issues, such as ghost authorship, falsifying journal impact factors, citation cartels and fake reviews, that focus less on the content of the research itself and more on tampering with metrics."

According to Aibar, the situation can be analysed in two ways. It can be seen as misconduct by a small number of scientists, as in any other field or occupation, or as a symptom of certain structural aspects of modern science that encourage this type of conduct. In the latter case, the main factors involved lie within the assessment system itself, which rewards productivity and impact over quality, and pressures researchers to publish more and at an increasingly fast rate. Changes in the current publishing ecosystem are also relevant.

"I think there may also be deeper underlying factors at play linked to the fast-paced nature of current scientific research, partly due to the world of science taking on certain market attitudes. Faster-paced research seeks to produce as many outputs as possible to have a greater impact and attract more funding," he said. "Rather than a single cause, there's a combination of general factors and local circumstances".

Is research misconduct on the rise?

Despite challenges in curbing scientific misconduct and dubious research practices, there are clear indications suggesting that they are on the rise in recent years. The first and most obvious of these relates to the increasing number of retractions. There were over 10,000 retractions in 2023 alone. Even taking into account the higher number of scientific publications, this is three times as much as 10 years ago. Furthermore, journals are generally very reluctant to retract articles because it harms their reputation. In fact, some estimates suggest that the number of retractions should be 20 times higher.

"These aren't the only indicators. For example, according to the results of the many surveys recently conducted among scientists from many different countries, misconduct is no longer limited to isolated events and is becoming more prevalent," said Aibar. The latest meta-analysis (a study that analyses the results of other studies) published on this matter examined data from 43 surveys conducted between 1992 and 2020: of the 23,228 researchers surveyed, 2.9% admitted to falsifying or tampering with results or plagiarizing others' work, while 12.5% admitted to other types of questionable practices. They also reported (in even higher numbers) being aware of similar conduct by colleagues.

Putting a stop to research misconduct

Research misconduct and unethical behaviour have numerous consequences. Firstly, they undermine the way research works, as false results contaminate the scientific record on which other researchers will build their work in the future. They also lead to a loss of trust by the general public and may have effects on people's lives. "In biomedicine, which is currently the most prolific area of research, these practices can indirectly affect the health of many people by, for example, leading to prescriptions for ineffective drugs or treatments," said Aibar.

Despite the seriousness of the problem, there is no simple solution. Possible options currently being tested include establishing integrity committees that have sanctioning powers rather than a merely advisory role. Such committees should also be independent and transparent. According to Aibar, in order to tackle the most deeply rooted aspects of the problem, we must design strategies that go beyond drawing up codes of ethics. We need to challenge the productivist approach to scientific activity and other related obsessions, like impact or excellence.

This research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth.

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