Measuring Scientific Misconduct—Lessons from Criminology

Felicitas Hesselmann, Verena Wienefoet and Martin Reinhart
Additional contact information
Felicitas Hesselmann: Institute for Research Information and Quality Assurance, Schützenstraße 6a, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Verena Wienefoet: Institute for Research Information and Quality Assurance, Schützenstraße 6a, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Martin Reinhart: Institute for Research Information and Quality Assurance, Schützenstraße 6a, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Publications, 2014, vol. 2, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: This article draws on research traditions and insights from Criminology to elaborate on the problems associated with current practices of measuring scientific misconduct. Analyses of the number of retracted articles are shown to suffer from the fact that the distinct processes of misconduct, detection, punishment, and publication of a retraction notice, all contribute to the number of retractions and, hence, will result in biased estimates. Self-report measures, as well as analyses of retractions, are additionally affected by the absence of a consistent definition of misconduct. This problem of definition is addressed further as stemming from a lack of generally valid definitions both on the level of measuring misconduct and on the level of scientific practice itself. Because science is an innovative and ever-changing endeavor, the meaning of misbehavior is permanently shifting and frequently readdressed and renegotiated within the scientific community. Quantitative approaches ( i.e. , statistics) alone, thus, are hardly able to accurately portray this dynamic phenomenon. It is argued that more research on the different processes and definitions associated with misconduct and its detection and sanctions is needed. The existing quantitative approaches need to be supported by qualitative research better suited to address and uncover processes of negotiation and definition.

Keywords: scientific misconduct; scientific retractions; scientific fraud; criminology; labeling theory; methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A2 D83 L82 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6775/2/3/61/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6775/2/3/61/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jpubli:v:2:y:2014:i:3:p:61-70:d:37798

Access Statistics for this article

Publications is currently edited by Ms. Jennifer Zhang

More articles in Publications from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().