Evaluation of retracted publications in Dentistry: A systematic review

Background: The objective of retracting flawed publications is to maintain the integrity of scientific literature. Retractions in the dental literature have been on the rise in recent years. Hence, we aimed to review retracted articles related to dentistry. Methods: A search was conducted of the MEDLINE database for retracted articles in the dental literature published between April 1, 1993 and March 31, 2020. The retracted articles and the notices of retraction were reviewed, and the findings are presented. Results: During the selected period, 143 articles were retracted. Redundant publication (n=50, 35%) was the most common reason for retraction, followed by plagiarism (n=43, 30.1%) and data manipulation (n=42, 29.4%). Around 70.6% (n=101) of retracted articles were original articles. Eight (5.6%) of the articles were single authored. The retracted articles have been cited by about 1300 publications, after the date of publication of the retraction notice. The gap between publication and retraction was longer for funded articles than for non-funded articles, and for articles retracted for data manipulation than for articles retracted for other types of misconduct. Twenty-one journals and nine authors retracted two or more papers. The majority of authors of retracted articles (224, 37%) were from India. Conclusion: Our study showed that the retraction of publications due to misconduct such as duplicate publication, plagiarism, data manipulation is a matter of concern and calls for strict measures to curb the menace of research misconduct.

Analysis of cases of research misconduct investigated and dealt with NSFC and its enlightenment on hospital scientific research management / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective:To explore the countermeasures to strengthen hospital scientific research management and prevent research misconduct by studying the characteristics of research misconduct cases investigated by the NSFC in recent three years.Methods:Information of a total number of 67 research misconduct cases in 6 batches that publicly reported by the NSFC from 2019 to 2021 were collected, classified statistics were conducted on the situation of the supporting units involved, the specific issues of Misconduct and the disciplinary measures of the NSFC. According to the frequency proportion of misconduct problems, the tendency characteristics and reasons were analyzed and summarized, countermeasures and suggestions were put forward.Results:96.36% of the main responsibility entity of research misconduct was individuals, and 3.63% of the main responsibility of relying institution. There were 62 cases of research misconduct due to scientific papers and applications, accounted for 92.50%. Among the problematic papers involved, data fraud accounted for 48.20%, false signature or unauthorized signature accounted for 35.97%, plagiarism accounted for 32.37%, and unauthorized marking of other people′s fund number accounted for 27.33%. The NSFC revoked 55 fund projects involved and recovered funds, 67 people were disqualified from applying for projects with a maximum of 7 years and a minimum of 2 years, and 2 peer-review experts were punished.Conclusion:Hospital scientific research management should draw lessons from others, and put forward specific countermeasures from the aspects of strengthening scientific research integrity education, improving the construction of supervision mechanism, strictly implementing process management and perfecting scientific research credit evaluation system, in order to provide possible reference for preventing misconduct in hospital scientific research management practice.

Scientists under the societal microscope: challenges to research integrity / Cientistas sob o microscópio da sociedade: desafios para a integridade da investigação / Científicos bajo el microscopio de la sociedad: desafíos para la integridad de la investigación

COVID-19 promises to reshape every aspect of society, not excluding how science is perceived.However, it is not clear whether the authority of science and scientists will be enhanced or diminished, or whether such changes will affect mainly science as an endeavour or scientists as individuals. The aim of this paper is to analyzehow a pandemic like COVID-19 could undermined the confidence in science and scientist and, to underline now, more thanever, the importance of trust in science and in scientists. Two main issues will be analyzed: first, we will analyzehow putting science and scientists in the spotlight could impact science and scientists and, secondly, we will go through the history of COVID treatment and research to anticipate how misconduct and breaches on responsible conduct in research could undermine trust in science with serious risks and consequences.

A pandemia da COVID-19 terá influências indeléveis em todos os sectores da sociedade, não excluindo a forma como a ciência é percecionada. No entanto, hoje, não se sabe como a confiança na ciência e nos cientistas será afectada pela pandemia e se tais mudanças afetarão principalmente a ciência como um empreendimento ou os cientistas como indivíduos. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é analisar como uma pandemia como a COVID-19 pode afectar a confiança na ciência e nos cientistas e sublinhar, numa alturatão crítica para todos, a importância da confiança na ciência e nos cientistas. Duas questões principais serão analisadas: primeiro, como o facto de colocar a ciência e os cientistas no centro das atenções e das decisões poderá impactar a forma como a sociedade confia e acredita na ciência e nos cientistas e, em segundo lugar, a história dos progressos e retrocessos nos tratamentos e na investigação científica sobre a pandemia para, desse modo, destacarmos-mos a importância da integridade científica e, mais de que nunca, da necessidade de condutas responsáveis em investigação.

La COVID-19 promete remodelar todos los aspectos de la sociedad, sin excluir cómo se percibe laciencia. Sin embargo, no está claro si la autoridad de la ciencia y los científicos aumentará o disminuirá, o si tales cambios afectarán principalmente a la ciencia como esfuerzo o a los científicos como individuos.El objetivo de este trabajo es analizarcómo una pandemia como COVID-19 podría socavar la confianza en la ciencia y los científicos y, subrayar ahora, más que nunca, la importancia de la confianza en la ciencia y en los científicos. Dos temas principales serán los que analizar: primero, analizaremos cómo poner a la ciencia y los científicos en el centro de atención podría impactar a la ciencia y los científicos y, en segundo lugar, repasaremos la historia del tratamiento y la investigación de COVID para anticipar cómo la mala conducta y las infracciones a la conducta responsable. en la investigación podría socavar la confianza en la ciencia con graves riesgos y consecuencias.

Discussion on the construction of research integrity in medical science under new circumstances / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective This paper aimed to discuss the construction strategy to promote research integrity in medical science from the perspective of hospital research administrators,and to provide theoretical basis for fulfilling the national strategic requirement of implementing "Scientific research integrity construction ".Methods Analyze and summarize the connotation,manifestations,causes and countermeasures of research integrity and research misconduct.Results The misconduct in medical scientific research occurred in various aspects,including scientific research projects,research papers,scientific achievements and other different stages.Behind reasons include weak sense of research integrity,lack of moral integrity education and training,improper academic evaluation system,lack of sound supervision,reward and punishment mechanism,etc.Conclusions A lot of strategies could adopted to promote the construction of research integrity and development of medical scientific research,for instance,strengthening scientific research integrity education,establishing a multi-dimensional evaluation system,improving the supervision,reward and punishment mechanism of scientific research integrity,as well as promote a better scientific research atmosphere.

3．Roles and Responsibilities of Trial Statisticians / 薬剤疫学

The fundamental issues which underlie research misconduct of Diovan case are 1）lack of data-quality control system managed by a competent data manager, 2）absence of trial statistician with sufficient knowledge of methodology (from all the aspects such as scientific, ethical and operating), 3）lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to secure blinding of assessors and independence of interim data analysis, which eventually allowed the investigators and statisticians to improperly check and edit crucial data in the midst of the trial. The Biometric Society of Japan, the community of Japanese biostatisticians, issued “The Biometric Society of Japan statement for clinical trials” , established “Statisticians standard of conducts” , and started the Accreditation for Trial Statistician from 2017. Many clinical trials sponsored by universities or research institutes (excluding investigator-initiated TIKEN) are not equipped with SOPs, adequate logistics, and clear responsibility. Moreover, a fair number of so-called “trial statisticians” only provide sample-size calculation and technical aspects of data analysis as statistical consultation. Academia should learn from Diovan case and pursue its role of educating creditable trial statisticians who bear social responsibility and establishing their social status.

Qualitative features in clinical trials: coordinates for prevention of passive and active misconduct

For many years, the quality concept in clinical trials has been discussed and recommended by Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. Regulatory Authorities and also the Public Involvement anticipate that the pharmaceutical industry will concentrate on creating quality frameworks amid the arranging and leading of conventions of controlled protocols. Nevertheless, many factors have been suggested as contributing to the occurrence of scientific misconduct within the research field, such as: personal and financial interests, site monitoring, available resources, workload, competition among investigators, and the implicit consent of sponsors. The negligence on data fraud represents not only omission but misconduct as well, in this case, a passive attitude intrinsically related to the act of transgression. A properly culture of research must be based on a fundamental ethos of integrity, openness and honest work of high quality in all parts of the research process. There is a need to change the focus from inspection-based quality improvement to planned systematic quality management within clinical trials. In search for a monitoring improvement, a full statistical  way to deal with information recognition comprises of executing however many measurable tests as could be allowed on whatever number clinical information factors as could be expected under varied circumstances. Adoption of specific and preventive clinical trial monitoring procedures can identify potential misconduct and data fraud leading to improvement in overall data quality and scientific reports.

Strengthening the detail management and improving the integrity of medical scientific research / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective To help researchers to standardize and avoid the occurrence of scientific misconduct,promoting the scientific research integrity.Methods We retrospectively reviewed and summarized the practical experience of hospital scientific research management in recent past years.Results At present,the capacity of scientific research supervision still has a lot of space for further improvement,more effective and sound scientific research management mechanism are needed.Conclusions To improve the scientific research management mechanism,it is suggested to further develop the research integrity education,update and specify the management system of scientific research integrity,refine the scientific research management process,strengthen the monitoring of scientific re search funds,reinforce medical ethics training and construct more systematic scientific research per formance evaluation,as well as the construction of scientific research integrity of medical researchers.

Ética e integridade: condutas para produções científicas no brasil / Ética e integridad: conductas para producciones científicas en brasil / Ethics and integrity: code of conduct for scientific research in brazil

Objetivo: apresentar uma análise de dispositivos legais, que sejam norteadores de pesquisas científicas no Brasil quanto à ética, integridade e seus aspectos, em relação às práticas inadequadas de conduta na produção do conhecimento científico. Método: a coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de pesquisa documental, correspondente às publicações de órgãos norteadores de pesquisas científicas, lançadas entre os anos de 2010 e 2017. Resultados: a análise dos dados gerou um quadro de Orientações de Conduta e as Organizações geradoras. As fontes observadas apresentaram documentações diversificadas e concordância, no que diz respeito ao termo má conduta científica. Conclusão: percebeu-se que é necessário esforço por parte das instituições, nas ações preventivas e pedagógicas em relação à produção científica, bem como a padronização das regras de avaliação e de punição em má conduta.

Objetivo: presentar un análisis de dispositivos legales que sean parámetros para investigaciones científicas en Brasil asociados a la ética, la integridad y sus aspectos, en lo que se refiere a prácticas inadecuadas de conducta en la producción del conocimiento científico. Método: se recogieron los datos por medio de investigación documental, correspondiente a las publicaciones de órganos rectores de investigaciones científicas, publicadas entre los años de 2010 y 2017. Resultados: el análisis de los datos generó un cuadro de Orientaciones de Conducta y las Organizaciones generadoras. Las fuentes observadas presentaron documentaciones diversificadas y concordancia acerca del término mala conducta científica. Conclusión: se percibe que es necesario esfuerzo de las instituciones, en las acciones preventivas y pedagógicas en lo que se refiere a la producción científica, así como la estandarización de las reglas de evaluación y de punición en mala conducta.

Objective: To present an analysis of the legal mechanisms that guide scientific research in Brazil in ethics, integrity and its related aspects, regarding misconduct in the production of scientific knowledge. Method: Data was collected through documentary research of publications from regulatory agencies that set the standards for scientific research released in the 2010-2017 period. Results: Data analysis generated a chart of Guidelines of Conduct and the Institutions that generated the records. Despite the differences in the documents of the sources investigated, they all agreed on the term "research misconduct". Conclusion: The institutions should carry out preventive and pedagogical actions targeted to scientific research, as well as promote the standardization of the rules of evaluation and punishment of misconduct.

Research on scientific research integrity behavior and knowledge of medical postgraduates / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective To understand the current situation of scientific research integrity level of medical graduate students,the development of integrity education in their universities,to put forward corresponding suggestions for improvement.Methods From December 2015 to March 2016,128 postgraduates are selected as the participants of the survey by randomized method (123 responded).We conducted a questionnaire survey in four famous medical universities in Beijing,descriptive analytical method was adopted to analyze survey findings.The contents of survey included the status of academic integrity of the current medical students,education of academic integrity in Medical Universities,awareness of scientific integrity and acquisition channel of relevant knowledge.Results According to the survey,the awareness rate of research integrity is not high,scientific misconduct has occurred consciously or unconsciously.By analyzing the access and demands to knowledge of research integrity,we find that related seminars or lecture is the best channel to acquire academic research integrity knowledge,accounting for 61.48％.Followed by the curriculum of academic ethics and compliance aspects was the network information or communication with classmates,which accounts for 39.34％.The data also show that 95.90％ of respondents thought it is necessary for medical graduate students to accept academic ethics and norms of education,68.03％ of the respondents realized that cultivating students' awareness of scientific integrity in the process of scientific research gradually has great guiding significance for mentors and counselors.Conclusions The survey suggests that the education of scientific integrity in our country is very inadequate,the knowledge on good scientific integrity was fragmented.At present,most of the medical universities have not yet set up scientific integrity course,and access to the knowledge of integrity is limited for students.The scientific integrity education has become an extremely urgent issue for cultivating the sense of integrity in scientific research for researchers as soon as possible.

Analysis and construction of Research Integrity Training Modefor Postgraduates / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective To promote the idea and practice of truthful conduct of research among fellow researchers by creating a research integrity training mode for Chinese postgraduates.Methods Based on the RCR (Responsible Conduct of Research) training module,a common research education initiative adopted by many American research institutes,and through literature review and social science study,this paper explored the idea of develop a research integrity training mode for Chinese postgraduates.Results A thorough explanation and analysis was given to the five major aspect of research integrity training mode,including theoretical basis,training objectives,operational procedure,neces sary conditions for application and training evaluation.Conclusion Research integrity training is one of the most important contents of graduate education,and a well designed training mode is the first and foremost step of developing a responsible and credible environment in academia of China.