Research ethics

‘Insufficient evidence’ for Warwick historian’s allegation that concentration camp survivor had lesbian affair with SS guard, university panel says

University Hospital Institute Méditerranée Infection, under leadership of ‘populist’ microbiologist Didier Raoult, continues to push hydroxychloroquine in the face of evidence

Clinical evidence showing psychedelics can treat mental health disorders has revived the thorny issue of whether researchers should ever admit using these substances

Researchers should campaign with the public to build back better, say Stephen Bradley, Jessica Butler and Chris Chambers

Only losers focus on excellent science. Better to cook the books, spin the wheel and trust to cronies, say Robert de Vries and John Jerrim

Appointment of Melih Bulu, a former ruling party political candidate, has triggered days of protests from staff and students at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul

Authors express ‘deep regret’ after independent review finds conclusions of research are not supported  

Commercial aid steers research agenda away from public health impacts, Australian study suggests

The case of Linnéa Taylor, who was fired by Lund University but fought back through courts, raises questions over misconduct investigations

Professors accused of misconduct brought down by online complaints

Academics say online methodologies can produce more collaborative, diverse and ethical research

Half of regional governors’ dissertations contained copied text, and these plagiarists went on to perform worse in government, research suggests

Academics urge governments to set up frameworks for ethical use of technology and reaffirm the need for greater multidisciplinarity 

There are lessons for academia in the scandal of the pornographer, the fake papyrus and a theologian’s fall, says author

Fiery Senate estimates session probes funding councils’ 'natural justice' obligations when researchers are impugned

‘Exact’ replication a pipe dream, combatants say, amid claims and counter claims about reef science

Report from Web of Science owners says that universities may need to do more to monitor research integrity

Forensic analysis of citations within leading scientific periodicals reveals alarming lack of rigour in academic referencing

Official censure of Leiden researcher who massaged data indicates authorities are more willing to tackle integrity breaches, says Dutch statistician

Campaigners warn that technical details of how to manufacture vaccine candidates are in some cases not being released, risking the world’s ability to ramp up production

Self-censorship, fuelled by fears of media misrepresentation and overstepping expertise, is more problematic than external suppression

Set up by young researchers, new publication will highlight where studies went wrong – but it may struggle to attract submissions

Australian thinktank tracks sharp increase in overseas recruitment stations and warns of links to covert activities

Critics say Australian inquiry excluded external witnesses and rationalised questionable activities

Italian researchers behind much-criticised 2012 study request its withdrawal and apologise for ‘distress’ and ‘discontent’ caused

Springer Nature-Digital Science survey reveals that pandemic-hit researchers are more likely to return to old data, which some worry could lead to fraud

‘Every young student of science has had a fantasy about winning a Nobel prize,’ says one laureate – and ever more rival prizes are being established. But with a cast of thousands currently pursuing the holy grail of a vaccine for Covid-19, might awards committees finally jettison their problematic focus on lone genius, asks Jack Grove

Medical researchers who fail to publish their results could be denied approval for future experiments

Insistence on ‘excellent’ research is commonplace, but Europe’s biggest funders warn that it can damage integrity and foster ruthless competition when poorly defined

Developer of research assessment guidelines says that while funders and journals are important, role of universities is pivotal

Black Lives Matter protests have reignited debate over the persistence of ‘neocolonial’ structures within discipline

It is those who commit research misconduct – not those who expose them – that damage science, according to David Sanders. But while the biologist has embraced the role of data detective thrust upon him, he wishes more scientists would share the thankless, legally fraught burden

Science Advances article on diabetes drug co-authored by Mauro Ferrari retracted after readers spot irregularities

New arm gives Australian regulator a voice in areas already well covered, representative body says

We will need wisdom and common purpose to update multiple layers of norms, says Jinghai Li

Failure to improve predictions compounds concerns over effectiveness, accuracy and racial bias

After sex crime conviction, elite university gave financier-donor his own office

Australian opaqueness risks quarantining decision making and tarnishing image of scientific advice

Denying legitimate authors their fair share of credit amounts to academic misconduct, says David Sanders

Research centre meant to support ‘politically useful ideas’ such as Orbán’s claim of Turkic ancestry for nation as government pivots away from EU, scholars claim

Researchers must be prepared to share their raw data if their work is to be considered scientifically sound, says geneticist

Researchers warn country is among the most hostile in Europe to experiments involving animals, and restrictions could get even tighter

A feudal approach to intellectual property has turned the academy into a modern police state, says Steve Fuller

Chief executive of Group of Eight says universities have ‘positive dialogue with security agencies’ after contributing to task force

Center for Open Science project will pass judgment on journals’ commitment to research transparency

But paper from League of European Research Universities says that anonymous reports of research misconduct should be avoided

Texas A&M University System chancellor’s public letter to Harvard president is latest incident in ongoing “food fight” between the two institutions over debated healthiness of eating red meat

Scholars welcome new ethics training for doctoral students but want broader action to improve awareness

Unprecedented recall of papers from Russian journals must also spark broader debate on academic culture, say research integrity scholars

Australian university scrutinises former student’s research record, as whistleblowers refute ocean acidification theory

The blessing of big data can be a curse without resources for analysis. But how much computerised help do we really want, asks Kristen Sadler

Researcher said he had transferred the sums to help cash flow at his lab

Scholars say ensuring vulnerable minorities have given consent to use of their data does not go far enough

Critics claim that only ‘congenial’ researchers get access to ride-hailing company’s data, while academic co-authors have potential conflicts of interest

Making participant-derived data available is not a panacea but, with careful support and management, it can improve reproducibility, says Jonathan Grigg

Chinese biophysicist jailed for three years for experiment that led to live births of three genetically altered children

Altmetric list of scholarship getting the most online attention shows that authenticity in science, and society more generally, is major theme of the year

Maps ruled invalid by a court in The Hague have appeared in scientific publishing

Importance of governance frameworks elevated, as ‘public or perish’ gives way to ‘partner or perish’

Industry and government alone cannot oversee new technology, experts say