China News Service, Beijing, September 29 (Reporter Ma Shuaisha) Qiu Yong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, introduced in Beijing on September 29 that the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with relevant departments, continues to crack down on illegal activities such as buying and selling papers. Relevant departments will seriously deal with scientific researchers who purchase papers, as well as illegal business entities, websites, and online stores that engage in selling papers, and publicly report relevant typical cases.
On the same day, the China State Council Information Office held a press conference. Talking about the construction of scientific research integrity, Qiu Yong said at the meeting that the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with relevant departments, will continue to establish and improve systems and mechanisms related to scientific research integrity, strengthen positive publicity, education and guidance, adhere to a "zero tolerance" attitude, severely punish academic misconduct, and continue to create a good scientific research environment with integrity.
Qiu Yong pointed out that the working system and mechanism should be improved and the scientific research integrity governance pattern of collaborative and joint governance should be continuously improved. The Ministry of Science and Technology strengthens the overall coordination and macro guidance of scientific research integrity construction. Relevant industry authorities and local governments at all levels strengthen the scientific research integrity construction of their own systems and regions. Various scientific research units fulfill the primary responsibility of scientific research integrity construction. Continue to improve laws, regulations and policy systems that combine prevention and punishment.
Qiu Yong said that we will severely punish untrustworthy conduct in scientific research and continue to send a "strict" signal. The Ministry of Science and Technology has taken the lead in carrying out special rectification work on retracted papers due to academic misconduct, promoting relevant departments to establish and improve the system's regular verification and processing mechanism for retracted papers, and further consolidating the main responsibilities of scientific research units.
He also said that the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with relevant departments, continues to crack down on illegal activities such as buying and selling papers. Relevant departments will seriously deal with scientific researchers who purchase papers, as well as illegal business entities, websites, and online stores that sell papers in accordance with regulations, and publicly report relevant typical cases. At the same time, a database of serious breaches of trust in scientific research integrity has been established to support relevant parties in conducting scientific research integrity audits in science and technology project establishment, academician selection, science and technology awards, etc., and to implement joint breach of trust punishment in accordance with regulations for individuals and units with problems in the review.
Qiu Yong said that the construction of scientific research integrity requires continuous efforts and long-term success. In the next step, the Ministry of Science and Technology will work with relevant departments to improve policies and systems and propose more pragmatic measures to address current outstanding issues; consolidate the main responsibilities of scientific research units, strengthen proactive prevention and normalized management; severely crack down on academic misconduct, and strengthen punishment and notification of untrustworthy behavior.
