Croatian Medical Journal introduces culture, control, and the study of research integrity

Culture, control, and the study of research integrity represents the future goals of the Croatian Medical Journal. This article will highlight researc h integrity as experienced in the USA by the Office of Research Integrity ( ORI) and discuss the framework being developed in Croatia. First, the Croat ian Medical Journal seeks to promote a research culture that is aware of re search integrity This will be accomplished through the education and traini ng of Croatian researchers interested in publishing their results in intern ational scientific journals. To facilitate this goal, the Croatian Medicial Journal introduces, what it believes to be, the first Research Integrity E ditor. Second, the Croatian Medicial Journal intends to facilitate the deve lopment of an Office of Reasearch Integrity based on ORI model. The Croatia n office of research integrity would be authorized to develop regulations t o define scintific misconduct, investigate, and develop administrative acti ons against those found to have committed scientific misconduct. Furthermor e, the office would be responsible for developing national education standa rds for promoting research integrity and the responsible conduct of researc h. Third, the Croatian Medicial Journal is developing a science-based resea rch agenda. This new research agenda will examine topics similar to those p resented recently at the first Research Conference on Research Integrity he ld in Bethesda, Maryland, USA (November, 2000). The initial research topics would include studying those variables and mechanisms that help to promote research integrity and honorable research practices. This Editorial repres ents the first step towards achieving this goals, by establishing a collabo rative relationship between ORI and the Croatian Medicial Journal.