The Chinese Dilemma of Research Misconduct

ABSTRACT This paper examines research misconduct in Chinese higher education and argues that such misconduct is best understood as a systemic outcome of interacting structural, organizational, cultural, situational and individual factors. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with 14 faculty members from two top‐tier research universities in Shanghai, the study analyzes academics' perceptions of research misconduct, its underlying causes and feasible remedial strategies. Empirically, the findings identify a typology of prevalent practices—including plagiarism, data fabrication and unethical authorship—shaped by performance‐driven evaluation regimes, hierarchical governance, cultural norms and regulatory gaps. Theoretically, the study makes an original contribution by being the first to systematically apply Davis's five‐dimensional framework to elite Chinese universities, while also identifying guanxi as a context‐specific extension. The paper offers actionable implications for policymakers, university leaders and academic staff seeking to strengthen research integrity in rapidly globalizing higher education systems.