Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism: The major threats to social research enterprise in Nigeria

  • HARUNA, Sheidu Abdulkarim Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi State-Nigeria
  • ISAH, Muniratu Madewo Department of Community Health, Ajine College of Health Sciences and Technology, Agbeji, Kogi State-Nigeria
  • AUDU, Mohammed Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prince AbubakarAudu University, Anyigba, Kogi State-Nigeria
  • ADEBOYEJO, Gabriel Oladapo Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prince AbubakarAudu University, Anyigba, Kogi State-Nigeria
  • MUSA, Aboda Bilkisu Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prince AbubakarAudu University, Anyigba, Kogi State-Nigeria
  • EDEGBO, Jeremiah Sunday Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prince AbubakarAudu University, Anyigba, Kogi State-Nigeria
  • AKINTOLA, Kehinde Boluwatife Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria
  • JIMOH, Muyideen Lawal Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria
  • OLUSANYA, Charles Omotola Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14598558
Keywords: Fabrication, Falsification, Plagiarism, Social Research, Nigeria

Abstract

Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP) pose significant threats to the integrity and efficacy of social research in Nigeria. As a nation characterized by diverse socio-cultural and economic landscapes, high-quality social research is essential for informed policy-making, academic advancement, and societal development. This paper explored the prevalence, underlying causes, and consequences of FFP, and also evaluating existing measures and challenges for addressing fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism within Nigerian social research enterprise. It employs secondary data collection approach in the collection of its needed data. The paper reveals a notable prevalence of FFP, driven primarily by the "publish or perish" culture, inadequate ethics training, and weak institutional oversight. The consequences of FFP are multifaceted, including erosion of research integrity, impedes academic advancement and knowledge acquisition, deterioration of public confidence in research institutions, psychological effects on researchers and students, and economic implications. Ethical codes of research and institutional protocols, creation of office research integrity, software for plagiarism detection, training and capacity development, legal and institutional penalties, and global partnerships and norms were found to be the existing measures and policies for mitigating FFP in Nigeria.  These existing measures and policies were obstructed by insufficient implementations, insufficient awareness and education regarding research ethics, institutional and structural limitations, publication pressure and professional progression, insufficient legal and regulatory framework, cultural influences and the normalization of misconduct, restricted access to plagiarism detection instruments, and significance global cooperation. Based on these insights, the paper recommends strengthening ethical training programs, enhancing institutional oversight, fostering a culture of integrity, leveraging advanced technological tools, and protecting whistleblowers to effectively reduce FFP in Nigerian social research.

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Published
2025-01-02
How to Cite
Sheidu Abdulkarim, H., Muniratu Madewo, I., Mohammed, A., Gabriel Oladapo, A., Aboda Bilkisu, M., Jeremiah Sunday, E., Kehinde Boluwatife, A., Muyideen Lawal, J., & Charles Omotola, O. (2025). Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism: The major threats to social research enterprise in Nigeria. GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 8(01), 01-18. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14598558
Issue
Vol 8 No 01 (2025): GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
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The authors and co-authors warrant that the article is their original work, does not infringe any copyright, and has not been published elsewhere. By submitting the article to GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, the authors agree that the journal has the right to retract or remove the article in case of proven ethical misconduct.