Misconduct in science - causes, manifestations and responses

Abstract

The authors present a criminological view of misconduct in science and discuss inappropriate scientific practices, contestable research practices, ethics and integrity in science, and the proper conduct of researchers in scientific work and in the presentation of their research results. They also consider the causes of misconduct of researchers and formulate recommendations for the promotion of scientific research ethics in practice. The discussion on misconduct in science is based on Merton's guiding principles of scientific research (1973): communalism entailing the common ownership of scientific discoveries, according to which scientists give up intellectual property rights in exchange for recognition and esteem; universalism - the truth is evaluated in terms of universal or impersonal criteria and not on the basis of race, socio-economic status, gender, religion, nationality and other subjective categories; disinterestedness scientists are rewarded for acting in an unselfish way; organised scepticism - all ideas must be tested and subject to rigorous, structured community scrutiny. The authors discuss these principles and try to find a link with scientific research practice in Slovenia.