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 research integrity as experienced in the USA by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and discuss the framework being developed in Croatia. First, the Croatian Medical Journal seeks to promote a research culture that is aware of research integrity. This will be accomplished through the education and training of Croatian researchers interested in publishing their results in international scientific journals. To facilitate this goal, the Croatian Medical Journal introduces, what it believes to be, the first Research Integrity Editor. Second, the Croatian Medical Journal intends to facilitate the development of an Office of Research Integrity based on ORI model. The Croatian office of research integrity would be authorized to develop regulations to define scientific misconduct, investigate, and develop administrative actions against those found to have committed scientific misconduct. Furthermore, the office would be responsible for developing national education standards for promoting research integrity and the responsible conduct of research. Third, the Croatian Medical Journal is developing a science-based research agenda. This new research agenda will examine topics similar to those presented recently at the first Research Conference on Research Integrity held 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 represents the first step towards achieving this goals, by establishing a collaborative relationship between ORI and the Croatian Medical Journal.