Research Ethics: Validation of A Model for Factors Affecting Research Misconduct in Iranian Medical Research

Designing a comprehensive model for verified relationships based on the actual tested data can help to better understand and explain the factors affecting research misconduct. The purpose of this study is to validate the model for factors affecting research misconduct in Iranian medical research.

This is a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population consisted of research and executive directors, members and experts of research ethics committees, research experts, medical journals editors, faculty members, students in medical science universities, centers and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran. Using convenience sampling, 264 people answered the questionnaires developed from the research model. Data were analyzed by the Structural Equation Modeling method and AMOS software.

The results of the Measurement Model showed that the thirteen-factor structure of this model has an acceptable fit in terms of goodness-of-fit indices. The results of all indicators related to the Structural Equation Analysis showed that the model has good fit. Of 22 theoretical relationships between the factors affecting research misconduct, 14 relationships were confirmed.

The proposed model is fit for explaining the relationships between the factors affecting research misconduct and can observe the interplay between existing factors and activities at macro, meso and micro levels of research systems.