Reporting Tools & Tips
How to Cover Academic Research Fraud and Errors
Tips from three experts who have covered research misconduct or have hands-on experience monitoring or detecting it.
Tips from three experts who have covered research misconduct or have hands-on experience monitoring or detecting it.
In 2022, many of GIJN’s original stories focused on reporting techniques relevant to global threats that grew or emerged this year — including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, democratic decline, growth of far-right populism, the challenge of accountability journalism in the Arabian Gulf, abuse of migrants and minorities, and the exiling, assault, and legal harassment of independent media.
Emilia Șercan has spent the last seven years writing dozens of investigations about alleged plagiarism and academic fraud in the doctorates of Romania’s elites. Her investigations have found evidence of copying from famous authors and other students’ in the work of the current Romanian prime minister as well as the ministers of defense, health, and education, a number of university rectors, police chiefs and army generals, prosecutors, and judges.
Fraudulent, plagiarized or otherwise shoddy research is an increasing problem across all scientific disciplines — particularly in China — and can catch like wildfire. Australian Professor Jennifer Byrne and her French colleague Cyril Labbé, as well as projects like Retraction Watch, are fighting back.
In 2001 GIJN was born, as investigative journalists from around the globe met for the very first time to share ideas, tips, and best practices to strengthen their reporting in a world where journalism was increasingly under threat.
Today the threat has multiplied, and at GIJN we find ourselves under the same pressures as our member organizations. Most urgently: available funding for investigative journalism has been impacted as some longtime funders who supported journalism in the past are no longer doing so or have closed. Yet our work continues, more important than ever before.
GIJN serves as the global hub for the world’s investigative reporters. Our core mission is to support and strengthen investigative journalism—with special attention to those from repressive regimes and marginalized communities.
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