Brooker Robin, Allum Nick
University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.
Res Integr Peer Rev. 2024 Oct 14;9(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s41073-024-00151-x.
This study investigates the determinants of engagement in questionable research practices (QRPs), focusing on both individual-level factors (such as scholarly field, commitment to scientific norms, gender, contract type, and career stage) and institution-level factors (including industry type, researchers' perceptions of their research culture, and awareness of institutional policies on research integrity).
Using a multi-level modelling approach, we analyse data from an international survey of researchers working across disciplinary fields to estimate the effect of these factors on QRP engagement.
Our findings indicate that contract type, career stage, academic field, adherence to scientific norms and gender significantly predict QRP engagement. At the institution level, factors such as being outside of a collegial culture and experiencing harmful publication pressure, and the presence of safeguards against integrity breaches have small associations. Only a minimal amount of variance in QRP engagement is attributable to differences between institutions and countries.
We discuss the implications of these findings for developing effective interventions to reduce QRPs, highlighting the importance of addressing both individual and institutional factors in efforts to foster research integrity.
本研究调查了参与可疑研究行为（QRPs）的决定因素，重点关注个体层面的因素（如学术领域、对科学规范的遵守、性别、合同类型和职业阶段）以及机构层面的因素（包括行业类型、研究人员对其研究文化的认知以及对机构研究诚信政策的了解）。
我们采用多层次建模方法，分析了来自跨学科领域研究人员的国际调查数据，以估计这些因素对参与QRPs的影响。
我们的研究结果表明，合同类型、职业阶段、学术领域、对科学规范的遵守以及性别显著预测了参与QRPs的情况。在机构层面，诸如处于非合作文化环境、经历有害的发表压力以及存在防止诚信违规的保障措施等因素的关联较小。QRPs参与情况的差异仅有极小一部分可归因于机构和国家之间的差异。
我们讨论了这些研究结果对于制定减少QRPs的有效干预措施的意义，强调了在促进研究诚信的努力中兼顾个体和机构因素的重要性。
