Má conduta na pesquisa científica da educação médica: um estudo bibliométrico

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific misconduct in publications related to medical education, seeking to understand the impact and main trends in the academic scenario. A search was carried out in the Scopus database, from 1990 to 2024, using the descriptors “Scientific Misconduct”, “Scientific Publication Ethics” and “Education, Medical”. A total of 131 articles were identified, most of which were published in English and with the United States as the main place of publication. The journal Science and Engineering Ethics stood out as the journal with the largest number of articles on the subject. The main types of misconduct found include plagiarism, data manipulation and duplicate publication. The analysis highlighted the insufficiency of traditional control mechanisms, such as peer review and the use of plagiarism software, to curb unethical practices. It is concluded that there is a need for a cultural change in science, with a focus on promoting integrity and creating more robust institutional policies that involve the active participation of researchers, institutions and journals. Bibliometrics has proven to be an effective tool for identifying patterns of misconduct, however, it is essential that its findings are accompanied by practical actions to combat scientific fraud.