Chinese military warns against forged data and plagiarism in science and technology research
Academics have been put on notice to maintain ‘integrity of scientific research’ as rampant misconduct puts lives at risk
China’s military top brass have released research integrity guidelines urging leaders in charge of the country’s defence-related science and technology research to avoid forgery, plagiarism and other wrongdoing.
The guidelines published on Friday are the first indication that China’s defence industry faces a forgery problem similar to that found in the academic community – including feigning scientific data, plagiarising subordinates’ study results, exaggerating study achievements and other misconduct.
The guidelines have been proposed by the Science and Technology Commission, a functional department directly under the powerful Central Military Commission headed by President Xi Jinping, which is in charge of China’s military defence technology research and development.
The guidelines include 17 specific rules, requiring all technological research department heads, academic leaders and research supervisors in the defence industry to not do “anything to violate the integrity of scientific research”, to not be “opportunists”, as well as to be “honest people that always put integrity as the top priority”.
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Military mouthpiece PLA Daily published the guidelines with four commentaries in a full-page special to explain the importance of “integrity”, calling on all military technology scientists to not become “careerists,” and to learn from the selfless spirit of their predecessors like Qian Xuesen, the American-educated Chinese scientist who helped China develop its first atomic bomb in 1964.
