Policy on Integrity in Scientific Activity

2026-03-17

We invite all users of Via Atlântica (authors, readers, collaborators, in general) to familiarize themselves with CNPQ Ordinance 2664/2026 of March 6, 2026, which established the Policy of Integrity in Scientific Activity.

In summary, regarding the use of AI in the scientific research environment, the following are stipulated:

1. Principles and Best Practices

The Ordinance establishes a Code of Best Scientific Practices based on:

  • Intellectual Honesty and Veracity: Rigor in authorship and scientific credits.
  • Ethical Responsibility: Respect for research participants and objects of study.
  • Justice and Inclusion: Promotion of decorum, social, racial and gender justice, combating harassment and discrimination.

2. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Scientific Practices

The standard provides unprecedented guidelines for the use of emerging technologies, treating AI as a support tool and not as a subject of rights:

  • Mandatory Declaration: The use of AI tools in manuscript writing, data analysis, or project design must be explicitly declared by the authors.
  • Prohibition of Authorship: AI cannot be listed as an author or co-author of scientific works.
  • Human Responsibility: The researcher remains solely responsible for the integrity, accuracy, and originality of all content produced, even with the aid of AI. The use of AI to fabricate or falsify data is classified as serious misconduct.

Methodological Transparency: It must be described how AI was applied, ensuring that the process can be audited.

3. Classification of Infractions

Inappropriate conduct is divided according to severity:

  • Serious Infractions: These include the practice of self-plagiarism and the insertion of inconsistent information in the Lattes Curriculum to inflate productivity.
  • Very Serious Infractions: Fabrication (FFP - Fabrication, Falsification, Plagiarism), fraudulent manipulation of data, commercialization of scientific production, nepotism in the appointment of scholarship recipients, and practices of harassment or discrimination.

4. Governance and Sanctions

The Commission for Integrity in Scientific Activity (CIAC) is the body responsible for promoting a culture of ethics and deliberating on deviations. Sanctions can range from formal warnings to the suspension of scholarships, interruption of grants, and the obligation to reimburse the public treasury in cases of proven fraud.

In this video, available on YouTube, the current Scientific Director of CNPq, Monica Felts, presents the new Policy on Integrity in Scientific Activity.