2017 Volume 14 Pages 11-21
In order to question what is research fraud and research ethics, this paper first considered the origin and role of the journal community which manage quality of research of scientific community. Next, this paper examined problems of the peer-review system which is a mechanism maintaining the journal community. Then, we name the publishing system assuring quality of research protected by the modern journal community as “20th century model”, and reconsider the cognitive authority relied on the 20th century model. Through this reconsideration, this paper suggests that research ethics can be considered as being established by converting customs for preserving cognitive authority made by the 20th century model into regulation. Furthermore, if we apply Porter (1995)’s examination on the origin of objectivity, we can see the origin of “autonomy” of scientific community as “response to external pressure”. Contemporary research fraud can be thought of as resistance to researchers’ autonomy against external pressure. Finally, with reference to RRI in Europe, this paper shows the need to rethink the current situation that converting customs in order to protect the 20th century model into regulation, without detailed discussion.
