Nuestra NEBRIJA 28 - Enero 2019

58 Juan Arturo Rubio Arostegui. Director of Nebrija University Doctoral School The research practice has traditionally been taught around the methodology of research, on how students have to internalize the discourse of science, with its rules, methodologies, mastery of the concepts of each discipline, the preparation of data and its interpretation and, finally, the skill and creativity in arguing and establishing causal relationships and conclusions. That is usually the end of research education. But everyday proof shows us that this naive perception of research is devoid of the reality of the practices surrounding the research process. Unfortunately, in many cases it is social media that disseminates cases of fraud and bad practices in research, especially those that have a university political or institutional responsibility. We can see very recent cases in the Community of Madrid and in Catalonia. Hence, ethical education in research has taken center stage in recent years in universities, and especially in doctoral schools, where future doctors are also shaped by values. Article 15 of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation proposes an ethical framework for research practice. Some of the specifiedmeasures may seem obvious, such as the obligation to disseminate the research results and ensure that its work is relevant to society, but we know that this is sometimes not very internalized by academics. Obviously, scientific fraud (data falsification or fabrication and plagiarism) are the most reprehensible behaviors that, in addition, can go beyond the scope of criminal law, and normally entail the end of a research career because, if the research is also financed with public funds, then we are also facing a case of embezzlement of public funds. The “publish or perish” mindset impels us in such a way that researchers often choose to select shorter paths –not exempt from danger– with the aim of publishing. Although not considered fraud, some of them are inadvisable practices, such as that of salami publication, a term that refers to the excessive fragmentation of research so that it appears published in different articles. Related to this is also self-plagiarism, where in some cases it is not easy to trace that red line as, for example, Ethics in research, an institutional task that affects us all E thical education in research has taken center stage in recent years Nebrija Investigates