z-bio 2025-12-08 3000

　　The Ministry of Science and Technology, together with relevant departments, has deployed special rectification actions to retract papers due to academic misconduct.

　　To implement the spirit of the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and seriously rectify academic misconduct, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with relevant departments, has recently deployed a special campaign to rectify the withdrawal of papers due to academic misconduct.

　　This special rectification operation focuses on the retraction of papers by Chinese scholars in international journals in the field of natural sciences. For suspected plagiarism, fabrication of falsified data or images, buying and selling of papers, fabrication of peer review experts and review opinions, etc., serious investigation and handling will be carried out, and the notification of handling results will be strengthened to strengthen the warning and deterrent effect. Serious breaches of trust in scientific research will be recorded in the database of serious breaches of trust in scientific research in accordance with laws and regulations, and relevant parties will be supported in carrying out punishments for breach of trust in project applications, academician selection, science and technology awards, etc.

　　On this basis, the Ministry of Science and Technology has taken the lead in promoting the establishment and improvement of a long-term governance mechanism for retracted papers due to academic misconduct, and continues to carry out monitoring of retracted papers. Relevant departments and local science and technology management departments should establish and improve their own systems and local normalized working mechanisms, strengthen the supervision of units with frequent academic misconduct and retractions, consolidate the main responsibilities of scientific research units, improve the active prevention mechanism for scientific research dishonesty, seriously handle confirmed academic misconduct in accordance with regulations, combine investigation and punishment work with scientific research integrity education and training, use investigation to promote education, use investigation to promote reform, and use investigation to promote management, effectively improve the integrity awareness of scientific researchers, and actively resist scientific research dishonesty. Any unit that conceals, accommodates, shields, or condones the untrustworthy behavior of its scientific researchers will be severely dealt with in accordance with regulations once verified.

　　Annual report of the General Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the development of scientific research integrity and style of study in 2025

　　Notice about work

　　The general offices (offices) of relevant member units of the Joint Conference on Scientific Research Integrity Construction, the science and technology departments (committees, bureaus) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, the Science and Technology Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the units in charge of science and technology projects, and all relevant units:

　　To thoroughly implement the spirit of the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the National Science and Technology Conference, and build a world-class innovation ecology and scientific research environment, in accordance with the "Scientific and Technological Progress Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Several Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Scientific Research Integrity", "Opinions on Further Promoting the Spirit of Scientists and Strengthening the Construction of Work Style and Study Style" and "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Ethics in Science and Technology" of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Science and Technology has established an annual reporting system for scientific research integrity and work style and study style construction. Based on the progress of the 2024 annual report work, the 2025 annual report on scientific research integrity and style of study (hereinafter referred to as the "Annual Report") is hereby notified as follows.

　　1. Reporting requirements

　　(1) Reporting subject.

　　1. Scientific research unit. The relevant member units of the Joint Conference on the Construction of Scientific Research Integrity are directly affiliated with units engaged in scientific research activities. All provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps are affiliated with units engaged in scientific research activities, and units that undertake national science and technology plan (special projects, funds, etc.) projects and topics.

　　2. Relevant administrative departments. Relevant member units of the Joint Conference on Scientific Research Integrity Construction, the science and technology administrative departments of each province (autonomous region, municipality directly under the Central Government) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

　　The units in charge of science and technology projects do not submit separate annual reports, and relevant information is reflected in the reports on supervision and inspection of relevant projects.

　　The annual reporting work of scientific research units in the military system is carried out in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Science and Technology Committee of the Central Military Commission.

　　(2) Report content.

　　Based on the relevant national laws, regulations and policies on scientific research integrity and work style and study style construction, the main contents of the annual report on scientific research integrity and work style and study style construction are formed.

　　1. Annual report of a scientific research unit: It mainly includes the organizational structure and responsibilities related to the unit’s scientific research integrity and style of study, system construction and management, training and publicity, investigation and punishment of violations, etc.

　　2. Annual reports of relevant administrative departments: Based on the summary and analysis of the annual reports of relevant scientific research units, systematically summarize the effectiveness and existing problems of the system and the region in improving working mechanisms, improving policies and systems, carrying out education and training, and seriously investigating and punishing violations, and propose key tasks and measures for the next year.

　　(3) Reporting method.

　　Use online filling method.The annual report is embedded in the National Science and Technology Management Information System (hereinafter referred to as the "National Science and Technology Management System") public service platform (website: https://service.most.gov.cn). Scientific research units and relevant administrative departments log in through the unit administrator account to enter the Supervision and Evaluation - Scientific Research Integrity and Style of Study Annual Report column to fill in. After filling in, the system automatically synthesizes the text of the annual report.Units that do not have an account in the National Science and Technology Management System should apply according to the procedures. Those who already have an account in the National Science and Technology Management System will automatically import the existing information. The content that has not changed in the 2024 annual report does not need to be filled in again this year.

　　The scientific research unit will upload the electronic version of the report with the official seal to the system; the relevant administrative department will submit the report with the official seal of the department, bureau, science and technology department (committee, bureau) to the 10th Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

　　(4) Reporting time.

　　The filing period for the 2025 annual report is from January to November 2025.The deadline for submission by scientific research units is December 31, 2025, and the deadline for submission by relevant administrative departments is January 20, 2026.

　　2. Organization and implementation

　　(1) Strengthen organizational leadership.All relevant departments and local science and technology administrative departments should strengthen their organization and deployment, guide and urge units directly under their departments and relevant units in the region to complete the reporting work on time, and ensure that everything is reported.Carefully analyze and summarize the status and effectiveness of the system and the region's scientific research integrity and style of study, propose improvement measures for existing problems, and implement management and supervision responsibilities.The units in charge of science and technology projects should strengthen organizational deployment and urge relevant project and subject undertaking units to fill in annual reports as required.

　　(2) Implement the main responsibility.Scientific research units are the first responsible body for the construction of scientific research integrity and are also responsible for the annual report. They are responsible for the authenticity, completeness and accuracy of the annual report. They must establish a responsibility mechanism led by the person in charge of the unit, clarify the responsible departments and responsible persons, and complete the submission of the annual report on time.In accordance with the requirements of the Party Central Committee, the State Council and relevant departments, using the annual report as a starting point, we systematically summarize the scientific research integrity and work style construction of the unit, constantly improve the working mechanism, improve the system and regulations, strengthen education and training, and severely punish academic misconduct.

　　(3) Strengthen the application of results.The annual report serves as an important basis for monitoring and evaluating the performance of scientific research integrity and work style and academic style construction by scientific research units.Units that fail to submit annual reports as required and fail to build scientific research integrity will be listed as key targets for supervision and inspection.Relevant departments and local science and technology administrative departments must strengthen supervision and inspection, and the Ministry of Science and Technology will conduct random inspections in an appropriate manner in conjunction with science and technology supervision work.The scientific research integrity construction of national science and technology plan projects and project undertaking units shall be included in the supervision and inspection of national science and technology plan projects.Any fraud in the annual report will be dealt with seriously in accordance with laws and regulations once verified.

　　Please provide timely feedback on your opinions and suggestions in the annual reporting work of each unit, and subsequent adjustments and improvements will be made in a timely manner based on the implementation situation.

　　General Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology

　　November 24, 2025