A senior Chinese science official issued a call yesterday for all researchers to refrain from any "dishonest conduct" -- such as plagiarism and falsifying proof -- since the country may soon come down hard on any unethical practices. 

 

"Complaints are at an all-time high concerning forgery, fabrication, theft of scientific research and a slew of other ethical problems. A detailed record of honest practice could restrain rampant fraud," said Deng Nan, vice chairwoman of the China Association for Science and Technology.

 

Speaking at an academic conference, Deng urged all scientific organizations to properly ensure academic morality and not ostracize any whistle-blowers.  

 

"We will establish an honesty profile for each academy. Dishonest acts will be recorded, made public, condemned and punished," Deng said, although she disclosed no further details.

 

In face of rising fraud and plagiarism in academic circles, a national science ethics committee and supervision office have been set up, to time with an academic moral code that was issued in March, forbidding scientists from a range of misconducts including commercial endorsements.

 

Du Xiangwan, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said in a previous interview that academic misconduct "had damaged China's scientific development, stonewalled the progress of young researchers and hampered the national innovation drive."

 

In the most prominent case to date, leading scientist Chen Jin was fired by hailed Shanghai Jiaotong University last May after being caught fabricating data about a digital computer chip that had been developed with state funding.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2007)