Current situation and influence factors of scientific integrity in China: A multicenter survey

Objective: Cases of scientific misconduct have occurred frequently, especially in the field of medical research. We collected electronic questionnaires from 1257 medical staff in 43 cities and obtained a cross-sectional data set of their understanding of scientific integrity in research. This study aims to propose recommendations for establishing a mature oversight system for research integrity. Methods: The study employed multiple regression analysis to explore the effect of different factors on the perception of four types of research integrity. Results: Female participants had a higher understanding of project application integrity than men (P < ​ 0.001). Participants in clinical departments had a lower understanding of project application integrity than those in nursing departments (clinical vs. nursing, P ​= 0.046). Participants with a junior college degree or below had a lower understanding than those who had a postgraduate degree and doctoral degree (junior college or below vs. postgraduate degree, P ​< ​0.001; junior college or below vs. doctoral degree, P ​< ​0.001). Conclusions: We found that female, medical technology department, advanced education background, and advanced professional titles were significantly associated with a higher understanding of scientific integrity in research in China.