Tang Haitao, Wan Xufeng, Zeng Wen
Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Department of Postgraduate Students, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):897. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07444-9.
Academic misconduct remains a pervasive challenge in medical education, threatening the integrity of research and healthcare outcomes. Traditional self-reporting methods for identifying misconduct are often limited by social desirability bias, leading to significant underreporting. This study explores the use of an indirect feedback approach to provide a more accurate assessment of academic misconduct among medical students.
A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1,622 postgraduate medical students from five medical institutions in Sichuan and Chongqing. Participants completed a structured questionnaire designed to collect demographic information, indirect feedback on observed misconduct, and perceptions of academic pressures. Observed misconduct included data fabrication, plagiarism, and inappropriate authorship. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, employing chi-square tests to evaluate associations between demographic variables and reported observations.
Only 2.71% of participants admitted personal involvement in misconduct, whereas 27.11% reported observing such behaviors within their networks. The most frequently observed misconduct occurred during data collection (31.73%) and data processing (29.51%), stages often marked by minimal oversight. Male students, those in higher academic years, and individuals with more publications were significantly more likely to report observed misconduct (p < 0.001). Notably, respondents with no publications reported lower levels of observed misconduct (26.85%) compared to those with 3-5 publications (45.93%). Additionally, respondents identified misconduct among undergraduate peers, research group members, and collaborators, with undergraduate peers accounting for the highest proportion (45.35%).
Indirect feedback revealed a 27.11% prevalence of observed misconduct, compared to only 2.71% self-reported, suggesting underreporting in traditional approaches. This method provides valuable insights into misconduct patterns and at-risk groups, enabling the development of targeted interventions. Despite its potential, limitations such as reliance on self-reported observations warrant further refinement. Future research should integrate indirect feedback with complementary tools to enhance monitoring systems and foster a culture of transparency and accountability in medical education. By addressing academic misconduct effectively, institutions can uphold research integrity and public trust in scientific outcomes.
学术不端行为在医学教育中仍然是一个普遍存在的挑战，威胁着研究的诚信和医疗保健成果。传统的用于识别不端行为的自我报告方法往往受到社会期望偏差的限制，导致大量漏报。本研究探讨使用间接反馈方法来更准确地评估医学生中的学术不端行为。
进行了一项横断面研究，涉及来自四川和重庆五所医疗机构的1622名医学研究生。参与者完成了一份结构化问卷，旨在收集人口统计学信息、关于观察到的不端行为的间接反馈以及对学术压力的看法。观察到的不端行为包括数据造假、抄袭和不当署名。使用SPSS进行统计分析，采用卡方检验来评估人口统计学变量与报告观察结果之间的关联。
只有2.71%的参与者承认自己参与了不端行为，而27.11%的参与者报告在其社交圈子中观察到此类行为。最常观察到的不端行为发生在数据收集阶段（31.73%）和数据处理阶段（29.51%），这些阶段往往监督最少。男生、高年级学生以及发表论文较多的人报告观察到不端行为的可能性显著更高（p < 0.001）。值得注意的是，未发表论文的受访者报告观察到的不端行为水平（26.85%）低于发表3 - 5篇论文的受访者（45.93%）。此外，受访者指出本科同学、研究小组成员和合作者中存在不端行为，其中本科同学占比最高（45.35%）。
间接反馈显示观察到的不端行为发生率为27.11%，而自我报告的发生率仅为2.71%，这表明传统方法存在漏报情况。这种方法为不端行为模式和高危群体提供了有价值的见解，有助于制定有针对性的干预措施。尽管有其潜力，但诸如依赖自我报告观察等局限性仍需进一步完善。未来的研究应将间接反馈与补充工具相结合，以加强监测系统，并在医学教育中营造透明和问责的文化。通过有效解决学术不端行为，机构可以维护研究诚信和公众对科学成果的信任。
