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Survey Insights & Institutional Support

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Introduction to the Survey

As part of the PAOLA Project, we are conducting an ongoing survey aimed at understanding the prevalence and nature of unethical issues within academia. The goal of the survey is to assess how widespread these issues are, how institutions are addressing them, and what support systems are in place for those affected.

The survey explores various aspects of unethical behavior, including issues related to institutional culture, competition, lack of oversight, and more. Participants are also asked to evaluate the effectiveness of current institutional policies and the availability of psychological, legal, and peer support.

55 %

observed

unethical issues

55 %

experienced

unethical issues

Ongoing Data Collection

The data presented here offers an initial snapshot of the survey responses received so far. However, data collection is still underway, and a more comprehensive analysis will be available once the survey is complete. We encourage you to follow our website for further updates and to access the full dataset once it becomes available.

See our results so far

1. Demographic Breakdown of the Sample

The survey sample consists of 117 participants. Below is a breakdown of the key demographic data:

72,5 percent of the respondents have PhD degree, 27,5 percent have MSc degree.

85 percent is from academia and research, 10 percent from government or other public institutions and 5 percent from industry or civil society.

2. Observations of Unethical Behavior in Academia

Participants were asked whether they had observed unethical issues in academia. Below is a summary of the responses:

3. Types of Unethical Issues Experienced

When asked about the types of unethical behavior they had experienced or witnessed, participants highlighted several key areas. These include (but are not limited to):

See Our Statistics

92,5 percent of the respondents have observed unethical issues in academia, 82, 5 percent also experienced it.

What kind of unethical issues were this?

Half of the respondents believe that unethical issues occurs frequently as a prevalent problem in academia.

4. Perception of Institutional Support

Psychological Support:

Participants rated low extent of psychological support for those facing unethical issues.

Legal Support:

The legal support is also provided in a very small extend in academic institutions:

Peer Support:

As the legal support and the psychological support, the provided peer support is also at a very small or a small extend.

5. Institutional Transparency

Participants evaluated how transparent academic institutions are in addressing and reporting cases of unethical behavior. Transparency was considered to be:

Low:

6. Awareness of Ethical Tools and Strategies

When asked about the ethical tools and strategies in place at their institutions, respondents shared mixed awareness. The following tools were mentioned:

Ombudsman: Many participants were aware of an Ombudsman or designated person for receiving complaints. However, some reported that the responsible individuals had retired without replacements.
Equal Opportunity Commissioner: Awareness of this role was limited among respondents.

Respondents were mostly aware of the code of conduct, ethics committee, ethics or integrity policies and whistleblowing channels.

Additionally, participants were asked whether these tools ensure confidentiality and ease of use:

Confidentiality: only 42,5 percent of respondents say that it allows them confidentiality.
Ease of use: only 12,5 percent think that these tools and places are easy to use.

Conclusion

The data reveals that while unethical issues are widely recognized as a significant problem in academia, current institutional policies and support systems are viewed as largely ineffective. Transparency remains low, and there is a need for improved ethical tools and better navigation of the systems in place.