Call for papers for a special issue of the EASTS Journal- Research Misconduct in East Asia

Type: Call for Papers
Date: May 30, 2016 to August 30, 2016
Location: Taiwan
Subject Fields: East Asian History / Studies, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Social Sciences
Research Misconduct in East Asia
Call for papers for a special issue of the EASTS Journal
Deadline for submissions: August 30, 2016

The Hwang scandal in South Korea, the Obokata scandal in Japan, and the growing number of retracted papers written by Chinese scientists who have been accused of fraud have led to a new interest in research misconduct in East Asia. While the scientific community has traditionally attributed such misconduct to individual researchers’ lack of ethical integrity, recent scholarship has tended to link scientific fraud closely with the characteristics of specific fields, institutional and cultural systems of science including the reward structure, and national politics concerning science. As such, the investigation of research misconduct in East Asia may provide a valuable opportunity for the STS community to discuss the social and cultural environment which shapes research practices in this region.
This special issue has a twofold purpose. First, it explains recent cases of research misconduct in East Asia by linking them to social and cultural conditions, such as a strongly utilitarian view of science, a patriarchal social order, weak regulatory institutions, and strong state power. We explore how these social and cultural factors influence specific types of research misconduct (e.g., co-authorship issues among graduate students and their advisors) and specific social and institutional responses to that misconduct (e.g., the state-driven institutionalization of research ethics). Second, it aims to generate discussions that draw insights and questions from the rich scholarship on STS, research policy studies, and East Asian studies.
Among the questions that papers might explore are:
* What, if any, are the unique features of research misconduct in East Asia?
* Are recent incidents of research misconduct related to unique research practices in East Asia?
* How has the political, social, and cultural environment in East Asia contributed to research misconduct in this region?
* What are the effects of research misconduct on research practices in this region?
* How have the scientific community, research institutes, and the state responded to research misconduct in East Asia?
* What are the policy implications of research misconduct in East Asia?
We welcome papers from a range of disciplines, including STS, sociology, history, and anthropology.
Papers should be between 6,000 and 12,000 words, clearly addressing the theme and focus of the subject issue. Please submit your paper to BOTH of the following e-mails: eastsjournal@gmail.com AND hbak@khu.ac.kr. Please indicate in the email title that your submission is for the Research Misconduct in East Asia special issue.
For inquiries concerning the themes of this issue, please contact Dr. Bak at hbak@khu.ac.kr. For other editorial inquiries, please contact Ms. Yen Ke at eastsjournal@gmail.com.
East Asian Science, Technology and Society (EASTS) is an interdisciplinary quarterly journal based in Taiwan and co-edited by editorial boards in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the West. For more about the journal: