Political Interference and Research Misconduct: The Role of Ethical Perception, Institutional Attribution, and Organizational Safeguards

• In Event: Governance of Science, Technology, and AI

Abstract

In recent years, political interference in the scientific research system has become increasingly frequent. The removal of public data, the censorship of research topics, and the intervention in the personnel decisions of research institutions are gradually reshaping the institutional environment of science (Yates et al., 2025). Under this background, scientists' are facing unprecedented challenges. On the one hand, scientific norms require researchers to remain honest, transparent, and independent (Resnik & Elliott, 2016). On the other hand, institutional interference may impose uncertainty and even implicit pressure through funding, personnel, or policy tools, which can cause individuals to waver in their ethical judgments and behavioral choices (Kreps & Kriner, 2020). This tension between institutional structure and individual norms raises an important question: Does political interference influence scientists’ research misconduct, and if so, what might moderate the relationship between political interference and misconduct?

This study is grounded in institutional pressure theory in which individual behavior is shaped by pressures from the external institutional environment. Institutional pressures drive individuals to adjust their behaviors in order to gain legitimacy, access resources, or secure external support (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983). In this study, political interference is defined as a form of coercive institutional force. It influences scientists’ engagement in research misconduct through changes in their subjective cognition. This cognition is further divided into two distinct dimensions. The first is ethical perception, which reflects the individual’s internal value judgments (Jones, 1991)). The second is institutional attribution, which refers to the perception of organizational or systemic causes behind misconduct (Gorman et al., 2019). Building on this framework, the study introduces universities’ ethics policies as a modering variable. While political interference represents an external source of institutional pressure, whether an individual ultimately compromises ethical standards depends not only on their subjective cognition, but also on whether their organization provides adequate safeguards (Resnik et al., 2015).

The data used in this study come from the “Science Impartiality” survey conducted nationwide in 2025 by SciOPS at Arizona State University. Literature derived hypotheses will be tested using logistic regression . Interaction terms will be added to examine whether institutional policies have a significant buffering effect. In addition, this study will conduct subgroup analysis to test the heterogeneity of different types of misrepresentation behaviors in the model, in order to enhance the explanatory power of the results.

The study contributes to understanding the mechanisms through which political forces shape scientific practice. It also provides a theoretical framework for explaining how external institutional pressures influence scientists’ ethical decision-making and potential engagement in misconduct. Results may help research institutions design forward-looking ethics protection mechanisms that support research integrity in politically unstable environments.

Author

• Rong Zuo, Arizona State University
  Presenting Author