Emergence of Global Scientific Misconduct

Relevant Ethical Concerns and Step Forward

Abstract

Over the last five decades or so, the structure, conception and practice of science have undergone a complete transformation and paradigm shift accompanied by myriad issues, including moral, ethical, administrative, universal applicability and feasibility and so on. The crux of such a dazzling array of aforementioned issues lies in the pace of advancement of scientific knowledge over the half-century compared to the preceding era, which lends itself to be reasonably followed and assimilated by society. Although, the preceding era of science was not completely devoid of falsehood and immorality, such issues, if any, were timely comprehended, thought through and resolved by concerned stakeholders with topmost priority and urgency following the rational debate and open deliberation. Owing to selfishness, self-morality and the high ethical standing of intellectuals, the reports of scientific misconduct were very rare, and if any, received a high magnitude of condemnation and denigration, and hence such malpractices could not insidiously spread their hideous tentacle of falsehood into the very deep of our society. However, research practices in the current period, irrespective of academic or science domains and areas, have come off worst and gone through a plethora of complications replete with frequent reports of increasingly complicated scientific misconduct/malpractices, manipulation, fabrication, self/non-self plagiarism and broken science integrity, textual recycling from all over the world. Apart from unproductive spending of public money, such cases of scientific malpractices are drawing widespread global attention and irreversibly jeopardising the hard-earned reputation of persons concerned in particular and institutions and nations in general. Moreover, scientific misconduct not only compromises scientific integrity by distorting empirical evidence but also weakens the very foundation of our global scientific repertoire, shattering people’s faith and belief in scientific value for society with a very dark prospect for the future generation to come. Therefore, it’s time to think science and research conduct over so as to bring back the correct and universally feasible and practicable scientific discoveries for the larger benefit of all sections of society irrespective of cast, creed, socio-economic status and geographical location.