Research Misconduct in Academia: Examining the Views of Academics in a Public University in Ghana.
The motivations for research misconduct (RM) among Ghanaian academics are likely multifaceted but poorly studied. In this pilot exploratory descriptive case study, we thematically explored institutional policies and conducted thirty (30) in-depth interviews of purposively selected Ghanaian academics...
| Published in: | Science & Engineering Ethics Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 1 - 27 |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
Aug2026
|
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=195755586&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 195755586 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 13533452 GNI jtl: Science & Engineering Ethics issn: 13533452 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Aug2026 vid: 32 iid: 4 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 195755586 10.1007/s11948-026-00604-0 ppf: 1 ppct: 26 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 1.1MB tig: atl: Research Misconduct in Academia: Examining the Views of Academics in a Public University in Ghana. aug: au: Gbagbo, Fred Yao Agordoh, Percival Delali Manful, Esmeranda Kearns, Lisa Redman, Barbara K. affil: https://ror.org/00y1ekh28 Department of Health Administration and Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana https://ror.org/054tfvs49 Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana https://ror.org/00cb23x68 Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana https://ror.org/0190ak572 Division of Medical Ethics, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA https://ror.org/0190ak572 Division of Medical Ethics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA sug: keyword: Academia Ghana Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Studies in Human Society Policy and Administration Public university Research ethics Research misconduct ab: The motivations for research misconduct (RM) among Ghanaian academics are likely multifaceted but poorly studied. In this pilot exploratory descriptive case study, we thematically explored institutional policies and conducted thirty (30) in-depth interviews of purposively selected Ghanaian academics in a public university in Ghana by examining their views on RM causes, enablers, inhibitors and preventive strategies. We found diverse views about RM among the academics interviewed. For instance, the majority of academics perceived RM in Ghanaian universities as a common practice, fueled by the ‘publish-or-perish’ phenomenon whilst a few thought RM may not always be intentional. Two important views of RM were also observed: (a) regulatory definitions of fabrication, falsification, manipulation and plagiarism (FFMP) and (b) professional definitions of not meeting scientific standards but not falling into FFMP. We also observed that the common practice of RM among Ghanaian academics may slow scientific progress, dent institutional reputation, harm researchers and participants. The university’s policies provided guidelines on conducting research responsibly but no explicit references were made to what constitutes RM and its related consequences. Our study thus highlights the need for increased awareness and education on ethical research conduct in the university and recommend a policy decision from the University management to publicize research integrity and build the Institutional capacity to prevent and manage research misconduct and the damaging effects on the reputation of academics and the university that can follow. A nationwide study is also recommended for broader empirical evidence for policy impact. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Science & Engineering Ethics is a copyright of Springer, 2026. All Rights Reserved. item: Science & Engineering Ethics holder: Springer Nature dt: @attributes: year: 2026 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|