Whistle blowing and research integrity: Potential remedy for research misconduct in Malaysian institutions of higher education

Burden of the Fruity: Family Support and Suicide Ideation as Mediators Between Discrimination and Suicide Behavior in LGBTQ+ Malaysians

Malaysian pervasive climate places its LGBTQ+ residents at heightened risk for suicidal behaviors (SB). This cross-sectional study aimed to elucidate connections between minority stressors (discrimination), types of social supports, and suicidality in this marginalized population. Utilizing online surveys, 317 LGBTQ+ Malaysians aged 18-49 provided data regarding experienced discrimination, perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others, suicidal ideation (SI), and SB. Quantitative analyses illuminated several key findings. First, discrimination is positively associated with SB, while all support types are inversely related to SB, with family support demonstrating the strongest correlation. Regression modeling revealed family support as the sole unique predictor of reduced SB. Serial mediation analysis uncovered nuanced indirect pathways from discrimination to SB, with SI, but not family support alone, significantly mediating this relationship. However, reduced family support resulting from discrimination sequentially heightened SI and SB. Despite pervasive societal bias, family and friend acceptance may curb the LGBTQ+ community's elevated suicide risk by mitigating resultant ideation. These insights highlight the need for public health initiatives promoting social support and LGBTQ+ inclusivity laying the groundwork to safeguard this population's psychological wellbeing.

A Comparative Study on the Construction of Research Integrity in Public Medical Universities/Colleges in China: 2020-2024

The medical field is highly susceptible to research misconduct, making research integrity in medical universities and colleges crucial for its prevention and management. While both Chinese and international researchers have conducted extensive studies on fostering research integrity in higher education institutions, comparative analyses focusing specifically on medical universities and colleges in China remain insufficient. To address this gap, this study examines the state of research integrity construction in 83 Chinese public medical universities/colleges during 2020 and 2024, exploring the underlying factors influencing this development. The findings indicate that research integrity initiatives in Chinese medical universities and colleges are predominantly reactive, driven by compliance with government regulations and mandated tasks, rather than proactive, guided by intrinsic awareness and moral commitment. These results underscore the need to go beyond addressing Two-Points to emphasize Key-Points, advocating for a greater role of scientific autonomy in shaping research integrity, as opposed to reliance on government oversight.

Factors influencing the promotion and implementation of research integrity in research performing and research funding organizations: A scoping review

Promoting and implementing research integrity is considered the joint responsibility and effort of multiple stakeholders in the research community. We conducted a scoping review and analyzed 236 research articles and gray literature publications from biomedical sciences, social sciences, natural sciences (including engineering), and humanities that dealt with the factors that may positively or negatively impact the promotion and implementation of research integrity. Critical appraisal of evidence was performed for studies describing interventions aimed at research integrity promotion in order to provide insight into the effectiveness of these interventions. The results of this scoping review provide a comprehensive taxonomy of factors with positive or negative impact and their relatedness to individual researchers, research performing and funding organizations, and the system of science. Moreover, the results show that efforts for fostering and promoting research integrity should be implemented at all three levels (researcher, institution, system) simultaneously to deliver greater adherence and implementation of research integrity practices. Although various educational interventions aiming at research integrity promotion exist, we were not able to conclude on the effectiveness of explored interventions due to the methodological quality issues in the studies.

Snitches Get Stitches and End Up in Ditches: A Systematic Review of the Factors Associated With Whistleblowing Intentions

Blowing the whistle on corruption or wrongdoing can facilitate the detection, investigation, and then prosecution of a violation that may have otherwise gone undetected. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the factors that are associated with intentions to blow the whistle on wrongdoing. We searched Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Complete, Education Research Complete, ERIC, Medline, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Regional Business News, and SPORTDiscus in January 2020. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Of the 9,136 records identified, 217 studies were included in this systematic review. We identified 8 dimensions, 26 higher-order themes, and 119 lower-order themes. The whistleblowing dimensions were personal factors, organizational factors, cost and benefits, outcome expectancies, the offense, reporting, the wrongdoer, and social factors. Based on the findings, it is apparent that organizations should empower, educate, protect, support, and reward those who blow the whistle, in order to increase the likelihood on individuals blowing the whistle on corruption and wrongdoing. A combined approach may increase whistleblowing intentions, although research is required to test this assertion. From a policy perspective, more consistent protection is required across different countries.