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Gan Y, Liu J, Zhao Y, Zhu M, Wang G. Inverted U-Shaped relationship between team size and citation impact: Mediating role of responsibility diffusion. Account Res 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38164053 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2023.2300255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Despite the increasing prominence of research collaboration, a growing number of studies have confirmed that increasing team size can have limited performance benefits. However, the mechanism of this phenomenon has yet to be established. This study, therefore, quantified responsibility diffusion based on author contribution information and explored its mediating role in the relationship between collaboration size and citation impact (citation count in a four-year window). The results show the following: (1) An inverted U-shaped relationship exists between team size and citation count. (2) Responsibility diffusion plays a partial mediating role between team size and citation count. (3) As team size increases, the degree of responsibility diffusion increases. Lastly, (4) responsibility diffusion has an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship with citation count (e.g., a moderate degree of responsibility diffusion has the highest impact). These findings offer a new understanding of the mechanism by which collaboration size influences research performance. This study also has practical implications for solving research collaboration dilemmas based on a group-cognition perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yetong Gan
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jialin Liu
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yixuan Zhao
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Mengxiao Zhu
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Gaofeng Wang
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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Tang L, Wang L, Hu G. Research Misconduct Investigations in China's Science Funding System. Sci Eng Ethics 2023; 29:39. [PMID: 37991609 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-023-00459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
As stewards of public money, government funding agencies have the obligation and responsibility to uphold the integrity of funded research. Despite an increasing amount of empirical studies examining research-related misconduct, a majority of these studies focus on retracted publications. How agencies spot funding-relevant wrongdoing and what sanctions the offenders face remain largely unexplored. This is particularly true for public funding agencies in emerging science powers. To amend this oversight, we retrieved and analyzed all publicized investigation results from China's largest basic research funding agency over the period from 2005 to 2021. Our findings reveal that both the "police patrol" and "fire alarm" approaches are used to identify misconduct and deter funding-related fraud in China. The principal triggers for investigations are journal article retractions, whistleblowing, and plagiarism detection software. Among the six funding-related misconduct types publicized and punished, the top three are: (1) fraudulent papers, (2) information fabrication and/or falsification in the research proposal, and (3) proposal plagiarism. The most common administrative sanctions are debarment and reclamation of grants. This article argues that more systematic research and cooperation among stakeholders is needed to cultivate research integrity in emerging science powers like China. Specific training and education should be provided for young scientists to help them avoid the pitfall of academic misconduct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tang
- School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Linan Wang
- Shanghai Health Development Research Center, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Guangyuan Hu
- School of Public Economics and Administration, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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Kocyigit BF, Akyol A, Zhaksylyk A, Seiil B, Yessirkepov M. Analysis of Retracted Publications in Medical Literature Due to Ethical Violations. J Korean Med Sci 2023; 38:e324. [PMID: 37846787 PMCID: PMC10578991 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retraction is an essential procedure for correcting scientific literature and informing readers about articles containing significant errors or omissions. Ethical violations are one of the significant triggers of the retraction process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of retracted articles in the medical literature due to ethical violations. METHODS The Retraction Watch Database was utilized for this descriptive study. The 'ethical violations' and 'medicine' options were chosen. The date range was 2010 to 2023. The collected data included the number of authors, the date of publication and retraction, the journal of publication, the indexing status of the journal, the country of the corresponding author, the subject area of the article, and the particular retraction reasons. RESULTS A total of 177 articles were analyzed. The most retractions were detected in 2019 (n = 29) and 2012 (n = 28). The median time period between the articles' first publication date and the date of retraction was 647 (0-4,295) days. The leading countries were China (n = 47), USA (n = 25), South Korea (n = 23), Iran (n = 14), and India (n = 12). The main causes of retraction were ethical approval issues (n = 65), data-related concerns (n = 51), informed consent issues (n = 45), and fake-biased peer review (n = 30). CONCLUSION Unethical behavior is one of the most significant obstacles to scientific advancement. Obtaining appropriate ethics committee approvals and informed consent forms is crucial in ensuring the ethical conduct of medical research. It is the responsibility of journal editors to ensure that raw data is controlled and peer review processes are conducted effectively. It is essential to educate young researchers on unethical practices and the negative outcomes that may result from them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burhan Fatih Kocyigit
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye.
| | - Ahmet Akyol
- Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Application and Research Center, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Türkiye
| | - Alikhan Zhaksylyk
- Department of Scientific and Clinical Work, Doctoral and Master's Studies, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
| | - Birzhan Seiil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
| | - Marlen Yessirkepov
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
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Hu G, Ni R, Tang L. Do international nonstop flights foster influential research? Evidence from Sino-US scientific collaboration. J Informetr 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2022.101348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Rubbo P, Lievore C, Biynkievycz Dos Santos C, Picinin CT, Pilatti LA, Pedroso B. “Research exceptionalism” in the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of scientific retractions in Scopus. Ethics & Behavior 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2022.2080067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Rubbo
- Department of Accounting Sciences, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR)
| | - Caroline Lievore
- Department of Accounting Sciences, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR)
| | | | - Claudia Tania Picinin
- Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR)
| | - Luiz Alberto Pilatti
- Postgraduate Program in Science and Technology Teaching and Production Engineering and Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR)
| | - Bruno Pedroso
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences and Postgraduate Program in Inclusive Education, State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG)
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Abstract
Despite recent progress, challenges remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tang
- School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
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Zhang Q, Fu H. Productivity patterns, collaboration and scientific careers of authors with retracted publications in clinical medicine. Scientometrics. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-04252-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Ghorbi A, Fazeli-varzaneh M, Ghaderi-azad E, Ausloos M, Kozak M. Retracted papers by Iranian authors: causes, journals, time lags, affiliations, collaborations. Scientometrics 2021; 126:7351-7371. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-04104-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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10
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Affiliation(s)
- Horacio Rivera
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Lievore C, Rubbo P, Dos Santos CB, Picinin CT, Pilatti LA. Research ethics: a profile of retractions from world class universities. Scientometrics 2021; 126:6871-6889. [PMID: 34054160 PMCID: PMC8141102 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-03987-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to profile the scientific retractions published in journals indexed in the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2019, from researchers at the top 20 World Class Universities according to the Times Higher Education global ranking of 2020. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and simple linear regression were used to analyze the data. Of the 330 analyzed retractions, Harvard University had the highest number of retractions and the main reason for retraction was data results. We conclude that the universities with a higher ranking tend to have a lower rate of retraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Lievore
- Federal University of Technology - Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa, Brazil
| | - Priscila Rubbo
- Federal University of Technology - Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa, Brazil
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Abstract
The aim of the present study is to identify retracted articles in the biomedical literature (co) authored by Indian authors and to examine the features of retracted articles. The PubMed database was searched to find the retracted articles in order to reach the goal. The search yielded 508 records and retrieved for the detailed analysis of: authorships and collaboration type, funding information, who retracts? journals and impact factors, and reasons for retraction. The results show that most of the biomedical articles retracted were published after 2010 and common reasons are plagiarism and fake data for retraction. More than half of the retracted articles were co-authored within the institutions and there is no repeat offender. 25% of retracted articles were published in the top 15 journals and 33% were published in the non-impact factor journals. Average time from publication to retraction is calculated to 2.86 years and retractions due to fake data takes longest period among the reasons. Majority of the funded research was retracted due to fake data whereas it is plagiarism for non-funded.
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Abstract
To encourage research transparency and replication, more and more journals have been requiring authors to share original datasets and analytic procedures supporting their publications. Does open data boost journal impact? In this article, we report one of the first empirical studies to assess the effects of open data on journal impact. China Industrial Economics (CIE) mandated authors to open their research data in the end of 2016, which is the first to embrace open data among Chinese journals and provides a natural experiment for policy evaluation. We use the data of 37 Chinese economics journals from 2001 to 2019 and apply synthetic control method to causally estimate the effects of open data, and our results show that open data has significantly increased the citations of journal articles. On average, the current- and second-year citations of articles published with CIE have increased by 1 ~ 4 times, and articles published before the open data policy also benefited from the spillover effect. Our findings suggest that journals can leverage compulsory open data to develop reputation and amplify academic impacts.
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Tang L, Cao C, Lien D, Liu X. The Effects of Anti-corruption Campaign on Research Grant Reimbursement: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from China. Sci Eng Ethics 2020; 26:3415-3436. [PMID: 33001377 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-020-00265-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Integrity and research ethics are cherished institutions in academic world. Although most societies have rules and codes that govern ethical conducts in research, few studies have provided quantitative evidence on the impacts of these regulations and codes on the behaviors of researchers. In the context of a nationwide anti-corruption campaign in China, this paper evaluates the changes of principal investigators' reimbursement behavior in a leading university when new reimbursement policies were introduced. Utilizing a novel grant dataset and a regression discontinuity design, we find that the new policies lowered PIs' monthly average amount of reimbursement from research grants by 35%, which can be interpreted as a reduction in grant misuse. Following speculations we argue that institutionalizing orchestrated efforts on grant management, payroll systems, and research integrity education is in the right direction toward building China into a true scientific power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tang
- School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cong Cao
- Faculty of Business, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, China
| | - Donald Lien
- University of Texas, San Antonio, San Antonio, USA
| | - Xiaoou Liu
- Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
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Zhou J. Problems and development strategies for research ethics committees in China's higher education institutions. J Med Ethics 2020; 47:medethics-2020-106768. [PMID: 33239469 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of research ethics committees (REC) in China's higher education institutions (HEI) is lagging far behind western developed countries. This has at least partly directly led to anomie in scientific research ethics, as seen in the recent controversies involving a proposed human head transplant and gene-edited babies. At present, the problems for REC in China's HEI include lack of regulation, informal ethics reviews, lack of supervision and insufficient ethics review capacity. To counteract these problems, suggested measures include mandatory formation of formal ethics committee, administrative support from HEI, ethics approval letter prior to funding application, formulation of regulations and standard operating procedures, selecting and training for members and independent consultants, training for secretaries and staff, ethics training for investigators, and learning from the experience of HEI outside of China, such as the USA and Canada. The establishment of REC in China's HEI will greatly enhance the overall quality of ethics reviews in China. In addition to better protecting the rights and welfare of human participants, it is also conducive to maintaining the reputation of China's HEI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyin Zhou
- Second Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Abstract
China’s rising in scientific research output is impressive. The academic community is curious about the time when the cross-over in the number of annual scientific publication production between China and the USA can happen. By using Web of Science Core Collection’s Science Citation Index Expanded database, this study finds that China still ranks the second in the production of SCI-indexed publications in 2019 but may leapfrog the USA to be the first in 2020 or 2021, if all document types are considered. Comparatively, China has already overtaken the USA and been the largest SCI-indexed original research article producer since 2018. However, China still lags behind the USA regarding the number of review paper production. In general, quantitative advantage does not equal quality or impact advantage. We think that the USA will continue to be the global scientific leader for a long time.
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