Research Misconduct Policy, Its Evolution and Culture of Morality

Abstract

Is our system for containing research misconduct optimally supporting protection of knowledge that is sufficiently valid and reliable for societal purposes? Society has gradually eroded science exceptionalism, which depicts science as distinct, autonomous and fully capable of self-governance. Frame analysis is a tool that allows us to see research misconduct through a variety of lenses and offers options for improved policy. Current research misconduct policy is in large part an ethics of procedure, divorced from context or consequences. Research misconduct regulations cover research funded by certain public agencies; there is little publicly available information about research misconduct in commercial or privately funded sectors. Since science is global, research misconduct and other scientific integrity policies must also be coordinated globally.