Research integrity in a South African health sciences institution

Abstract

Research integrity is of interest across disciplines, although reported on more frequently by health sciences researchers. This study investigated the experiences and attitudes of academic staff and postgraduate students to scientific misconduct in a South African health sciences institution. An anonymous self-administered, structured questionnaire conducted online was addressed to academic staff and postgraduate students. While the response rate was low (11.4%), it reflects the diversity of the health sciences institution. While fabricating, falsifying, plagiarizing, or presenting results in a misleading way was self-reported as low, 9% of staff reported knowing of cases where misleading results had been presented and approximately 10% of respondents had witnessed misconduct. Authorship misconduct was concerning, with more staff (35.2%) than students (8.8%) reporting unethical pressure regarding inclusion or ordering of authors (p<0.001). The incidence of data altering by staff, and of clinicians who were uncertain about reporting scientific misconduct although low, is disquieting. Institutions should ensure that adequate research integrity training is provided if the standard and veracity of its science is to be upheld.