Scientific Misconduct as Occupational Crime. Pleading for Criminological Analysis

• In Event: Emerging Areas in White-Collar Crime

Abstract

Scientific misconduct has been gathering momentum as a topic of criminological enquiry. Results of a 5-year research on the topic will be presented by using the concept of problematic behavior (L. Hulsman) and outlining the lack of consensus around definitions and features. In fact, neither interviewed scholars, neither regulation documents agree on what is considered to be scientific misconduct and how (or if) should it be prevented and sanctioned. This lack of agreement, relative impunity, influence of the organizational environment and lax social control are similar to results obtained in traditional studies on white-collar and occupational crime. It will be concluded that scientific misconduct should be a topic of research for criminology, especially by using concepts and tools from white-collar and occupational crime.

Author

• Rita Faria, University of Porto