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Published on: September 4, 2019
Perceptions of ethical problems with scientific journal peer review: an exploratory study
David B Resnik1, Christina Gutierrez-Ford, Shyamal Peddada
1NIEHS/NIH, Mail Drop NH 06, Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. resnikd@niehs.nih.gov
Researchers reported frequent ethical issues in journal peer review, primarily incompetent review and bias. Less common, but serious, problems included confidentiality breaches and idea appropriation. Further studies are recommended.
Area of Science:
- Scientific Publishing
- Research Integrity
Background:
- Journal peer review is a cornerstone of scientific publishing.
- Ensuring ethical practices in peer review is crucial for maintaining research integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate researchers' perceptions of ethical problems in journal peer review.
- To identify the prevalence of various ethical issues encountered during the peer review process.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous survey administered to researchers at a government research institution.
- Data collected on reported ethical problems and their frequencies.
Main Results:
- Incompetent review (61.8%) and bias (50.5%) were the most frequently perceived ethical problems.
- Other issues included mandatory reference inclusion (22.7%), personal attacks (17.7%), and publication delays (9.6%).
- Serious violations like breach of confidentiality (6.8%) and idea appropriation (5%) were reported less often.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights significant concerns regarding the ethical conduct of journal peer review.
- Incompetent review and bias represent substantial challenges to the peer review system.
- Further research is recommended to explore and address ethical issues in peer review.
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