A Study of the Relationship between the Process of Academic Socialization and Commitment to Research Ethics (The Case of Postgraduate Students of Tabriz University)

Abstract

<strong>Introduction</strong>: Nowadays, with the transition from the first generation universities (education-based university) to the second generation universities (research-based university) and to the third generation universities (Entrepreneur-based university), which focuses on the concepts of education, research and contribution to economic development through contacts with manufacturing institutions and commercialization of academic research, commitment to research ethics and its promotion in the university system has become vitally important. Although this concept ensures academic honesty and, most importantly, amplifiers the relationships between institutions of science and society through respecting the subjects’ ethics, commitment to honesty, emotional impartiality, professional responsibility, social responsibility, legitimacy and commitment to academic integrity have attracted the attention of intellectuals, especially the sociologists of science and technology. Commitment to research ethics, like other phenomenon, is affected by several factors. In this research, we have tried to study the relationship between academic socialization and commitment to research ethics by using theories of Merton, Kuhn, Resnik, Weidman, Bragg, Hagstrom, and Collins. We believe that the professional socialization is a social process whose results lead to the strengthening of professional and social norms, the formation of professional actors (Kicherova et al., 2015: 443-444) and dissemination of academic norms in academic environment. It can develop higher education, produce science and also institutionalizes the Ethical rules related to academic activities (Mohseni Tabrizi et al., 2010: 45). Also, Randall Collins (2000) discusses the importance of interactive event not only in everyday life but also in the relations between scientists. The interaction binds individuals together in a moral community and creates symbols by which the members make their world (Mohseni Tabrizi et al, 2010: 83). Accordingly, the aim of this study is to study the relationship between the process of academic socialization and commitment to research ethics. <strong> </strong> <strong>Materials & Methods</strong>: The method of this study, based on the research purpose, is practical and survey. The statistical population includes all graduate students of Tabriz University in the academic year of 2014-2015. They were 6615, of whom 729 cases were chosen via Cochran formula and using stratified random sampling method. We used a questionnaire to collect the data. Also, to measure the validity of the scale, content validity, and to ensure the measurement reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used. The results show that the items selected to measure commitment to research ethics and process of academic socialization had internal consistency. To analyze the data, parameters such as mean, standard deviation, skewness, Pearson correlation and multivariate regression were used by SPSS software (V.16). <strong>Discussion of Results and Conclusions: </strong>the findings show that commitment to the research ethics among graduate students was higher than the average (63.89%). More specifically, the highest rate refers to respect to moral rights of subjects and the lowest rate refers to social responsibility. According to the findings, the correlation between process of academic socialization and all of its aspects (supportive school atmosphere, student interaction with professors, student’s interaction with students, and academic encouragement of students, except participation in academic activities), with commitment to the research ethics was significant at 0.01 level. The correlations between socialization process with supportive faculty environment and student scholarly encouragement with commitment to research ethics were moderate while correlation between students’ interaction with students and students’ interactions with professors was direct but weak. According to the results, we can say that as the process of students’ socialization improves, their commitment to research ethics improves as well, and vice versa. Also, regression analysis showed that variables entered into the regression model could explain 30% of changes in commitment to research ethics. By comparing the beta coefficients, it can be said that the students’ academic encouragement to the process of academic socialization (with a 0.31 beta coefficient) had the highest effect and participation in academic activities (with -0.10 beta coefficient) had the least effect on the problem of research (the process of academic socialization). Finally, according to the research findings, students’ scholarly encouragement as a dimension of academic socialization process has a main role in promoting the commitment to research ethics. Therefore, it is recommended that by organizing scientific festivals, authorities appreciate top papers, senior and doctoral theses that efficiently observed research ethics. It seems that if we want to improve academic ethics among graduate students, very much depends on the performance of the professors. Since, as academic leaders, professors have a significant role in academic socialization of students being good examples of observing research ethics.