Integrity

In theory

Rather than describing how academics treat their colleagues, the concept of scientific/academic integrity is mainly used to describe how academics go about their research. The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, formulates four fundamental principles of research integrity:

1. Reliability in ensuring the quality of research (design, methodology, analysis, use of resources). 
2. Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, reporting and communicating research in a transparent, fair, full and unbiased way.
3. Respect for colleagues, research participants, society, ecosystems, cultural heritage and the environment. 
4. Accountability for the research from idea to publication (management and organization; training, supervision and mentoring; wider impacts).

According to ALLEA (2017), the main violations of these principles are considered to be:

• Fabrication: making up results. 
• Falsification: manipulating research materials, equipment or processes or changing, omitting or suppressing data or results. 
• Plagiarism: using other people’s work and ideas without credit.

In practice

The artificial distinction between “research integrity” and “social safety” can make it hard for targets of harassment to find help. Especially scientific sabotage seems to be a topic that does not really “belong” anywhere, as it takes place on the intersection of integrity and social safety. As a consequence, victims of scientific sabotage may be “pingponged around” from one office to another.