Stress and unethical behaviour in the research of untenured university researchers

The relationship between stress, uncertain work contracts and the incidence of unethical behaviour in research has not been investigated thus far either in Italy or abroad. This despite the fact that while the job of a researcher is increasingly "insecure" and the practice and reporting of research is also under increased scrutiny regarding its adherence to the ethical principles of truth, honesty, respectful collaboration, and accurate reporting. The present study seeks to bridge this gap in knowledge on this complex phenomenon. An online survey is currently being administered-already completed by over 390 untenured researchers. The survey is designed to assess the risk of stress to this growing category of researcher-something considered important to establish given the increasing role these researchers play in the profile of research conducted in Italy. The questionnaire is composed of standardized sections aimed at assessing the perceived stress level (PSS-4), the stress risk factors (HSE) and sections developed for this study which aim to investigate the incidence of unethical behaviour related to the world of university research in general and that related to the individual. The data collected so far highlight a significant risk of stress related to several factors and a clear relationship between these, the level of insecurity of job contracts and the occurrence of unethical behaviours.