Research Policy 2026

Is research ethics discipline-specific? A survey of researchers' and ethics reviewers' views on research misconduct and questionable practices

Amanda Matilda Lindkvist¹; Lina Koppel¹; David Andersson¹; Daniel Västfjäll^1,2; Gustav Tinghög¹

¹ Linköping University · ² Decision Research

Abstract

Are views on research ethics and questionable research practices discipline-specific? This study investigates attitudes toward research misconduct and questionable research practices (QRPs) among researchers ( n = 11,050) and ethics reviewers ( n = 144) across academic fields. Our findings indicate that while most questionable practices are viewed as unacceptable overall, attitudes vary systematically across fields. Medical researchers and ethics reviewers generally viewed questionable practices as less acceptable than researchers and reviewers in other fields. Female researchers and full professors also had stricter attitudes.

DOI

10.1016/j.respol.2026.105435

Sources

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