Navigating the Science System: Research Integrity and Academic Survival Strategies.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Science Policy
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Research Integrity (RI) is a key focus for institutions and science policy.
• Initiatives often aim to regulate scientific behavior through guidelines to address misconduct.
• Existing approaches may overlook the nuanced reasons behind breaches of research integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptualize Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) not as an information deficit, but as a means to reconcile uncertainties.
• To offer a more detailed perspective on researchers' motivations for engaging in misconduct.
• To propose strategies for institutions to reduce incentives for misconduct.

Main Methods:

• Analysis based on 30 focus group interviews with researchers.
• Cross-disciplinary and cross-European scope.
• Conceptualization of QRPs through the lens of epistemic and social uncertainty.

Main Results:

• Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) are framed as attempts to manage epistemic (inherent unpredictability) and social (human-made conditions) uncertainties.
• Breaches of research integrity can be understood as efforts to loosen the coupling between these uncertainties.
• The study provides a nuanced perspective beyond simple information deficits.

Conclusions:

• Institutions and academic communities can reduce misconduct by collectively reconciling epistemic and social uncertainties.
• Addressing the root causes of uncertainty can mitigate the need for researchers to engage in QRPs.
• Proposes concrete ways to foster a more supportive research environment.