Proposing Disciplinary Charter of Research Misconduct: a Qualitative Study

The number of research misconduct cases seems to be increasing so the need for developing a disciplinary charter of research misconduct is felt more than ever. This study was aimed to propose and develop a charter to determine types of research misconduct and dealing with them.

In this qualitative study, three consensus rounds were conducted. Each round consisted of five to six qualified experts with related specialties. They included one member of academic staff with sufficient experience in research management, two experts in professional ethics, and two experts in legal affairs. Each session lasted for 1.5 to 2 hours. Based on an extensive literature review and personal experiences, the different types of research misconduct were extracted in the first two sessions and in the third round, agreement on classification of research misconduct was made

In general, 49 types of research misconduct were explored and defined including 17 mild, 22 moderate and 10 severe ones. Based on the severity of each type, an appropriate penalty like "verbal warnings and summons" to "early retirement with reduced payment base" was determined. Finally the expert panel made some comments.

The results of this study revealed different types of research misconduct and dealing with them. Such an understanding can lead to a better design of national charters compatible with Iranian culture and it can also be as a base for preventive interventions