Combating plagiarism: a shared responsibility.
Scientific progress depends on the free dissemination of original thinking and research. With the evidence base formed by publication, investigators develop and implement additional studies, and policy makers propose new laws and regulations. The ramifications of this evidence can affect millions of lives and reallocate considerable resources for programmes or research. As such, it is incumbent on investigators to conduct rigorous research, which precludes engaging in scientific misconduct such as falsification, fabrication and plagiarism. This article addresses the causes and consequences of plagiarism and the processes by which plagiarism is discovered. It concludes by considering the responsibilities of members of the research community in preventing and addressing plagiarism.
Rathod
Sujit D
SD
Division of Epidemiology, 101 Haviland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. sujit.rathod@yahoo.com
D035081:Editorial Policies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D015714:Plagiarism; D011643:Publishing / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D015871:Scientific Misconduct; D012941:Social Responsibility; D035642:Whistleblowing