In the wake of international research integrity scandals such as the recent resignation of Harvard University’s president, several members of the postsecondary sector have penned opinion articles on research integrity. In an article for Times Higher Education, Ian Pace (City University of London) argues that all academics and students must be pushed to avoid plagiarism and construct their arguments on the foundation of a properly cited body of knowledge. Till Bruckner of University World News discusses the wrong way to tackle research integrity: “first chose the target, […] then go looking for the crime.” Bruckner explains that this phenomenon of weaponizing research integrity is relatively new, but argues that it could lead to publication bias and the intentional avoidance of “unsafe” topics that are more likely to draw public attention.
