Critical gaps in ethical publishing knowledge among researchers in China, reveals new survey

A new survey has revealed a widespread lack of clarity among researchers in China regarding ethical publishing practices, particularly when third-party manuscript services are involved. Analyzing the results of the survey, the authors of a study published in the Journal of Data and Information Science highlight the urgent need for all researchers to receive comprehensive and fit-for-purpose ethics education.

Conducted as part of a pioneering collaboration between international publisher Taylor & Francis and the National Science Library at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the survey of 1,777 students, researchers and librarians, demonstrates high levels of uncertainty about research and publishing ethics.

Understanding the responsibilities that come with article authorship is an area of confusion for 35.9% of survey respondents, with masters students reporting the highest levels of confusion. In addition, a notable proportion report having engaged in practices that constitute ‘gift authorship’; that is adding an author to a paper, or agreeing to be named as an author, when proper authorship criteria are not met.

The study also explores researchers’ perceptions of the services offered by third parties to support publication in international journals. While 31% of respondents report using third-party services, there is limited ability to recognize some of the unethical options offered. Most respondents correctly recognized services such as language editing, translation and formatting to be acceptable. However, a concerning number of respondents also consider activities typically carried out by paper mills, such as writing parts of a paper or adding authors and citations of the agent’s own choosing, to be acceptable.

The authors of the study conclude that there needs to be timely, accessible, fit-for-purpose training in research integrity and publishing ethics for researchers at all levels. This should include undergraduates and those at institutions who are responsible for upholding overall integrity standards. Core topics such as authorship responsibilities and working with ethical third-party manuscript services must be included in mandatory training. Only 55.4% of the survey respondents said they currently had any access to training, and an even smaller proportion to formal training.

The quality of current training is also called into question by the report. While researchers with formal training display more awareness and concern about ethical issues, many are still unable to confidently identify questionable practices, particularly around authorship.

The survey was developed by the Joint Lab on Research Integrity, a project supported by Taylor & Francis and the National Science Library at CAS. Established in December 2023, the Lab aims to better understand and address research ethics challenges in China by combining publisher expertise with direct research institution experience and insights.

Dr Sabina Alam, Director of Publishing Ethics & Integrity at Taylor & Francis, said: “The findings of our survey highlight the urgent need for training for students and researchers at all levels in China, a finding which we believe to be applicable to many students and researchers across the world. Until then, the knowledge gaps we’ve discovered leave researchers vulnerable to exploitation by unethical organizations, such as paper mills, and many may unknowingly engage in misconduct.”

“It is no wonder that 80% of those who responded to our survey are currently concerned about the impact of research integrity issues on the trustworthiness of research publications,” Alam added. “Partnerships between publishers and research institutions will be key to tackling global research integrity challenges, including the development and implementation of comprehensive training in research integrity and publishing ethics. A key motivation for establishing our collaboration with the National Science Library at CAS was to explore critical issues and we believe these results from our Joint Lab show the benefits of working together in this way.”

Dr Zhesi Shen, Deputy Director of the Department for Scientometrics and Research Evaluation at the National Science Library, CAS, said: “Research institutions and libraries play a vital role in educating the next generation of researchers about academic integrity standards and their implementation. Through close collaboration with publishers, these organizations can leverage their complementary strengths to develop and deliver systematic training programs tailored to local needs, while collectively addressing global research integrity challenges”

Research article: ‘Perceptions and recommendations about research integrity and publishing ethics: a survey among Chinese researchers on training, challenges and responsibilities’ by Sabina Alam, Victoria Babbit, Jason Hu, Ying Lou, Zhesi Shen, Laura Wilson and Zhengyi Zhou. Journal of Data and Information Science