Responsible behavior in research and unethical conduct in Mexican and Spanish universities

Abstract

The article presents the key tenets regarding responsible behavior in research, before providing information about unethical conduct expressed by 17 postgraduate program coordinators from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and 14 lecturers from three universities in Valencia, Spain. The theoretical frame derives primarily from the specialized literature in Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The research findings emphasize the importance of the international documents, while concluding that the perception of unethical conduct is greater than its actual prevalence in the university setting. The findings also outline the range of unethical practices, while highlighting the existence of internal and external detection mechanisms.