Academic Ethics 2026: New Rules of the Game That Cannot Be Ignored

Where the risks begin

The biggest mistake is to think that only copy-paste is punishable. Law No. 10392 significantly expands the “menu” of violations [2]:

• Abandonment of authorship:
  You transferred your work to another person so that they could claim authorship (for example, you wrote an article for a colleague). This is grounds for dismissal.

• Attribution of authorship:
  Did you list a person who did not participate in the research (for example, a “necessary person”) as a co-author? This is a violation.

• Self-plagiarism:
  Have you published old results as new ones for a report? If this was done to inflate your performance indicators, it is punishable.

• Fabrication and falsification:
  Have you invented data or changed real figures to make the graph look “pretty”?

• Unfair assessment:
  Have you deliberately overestimated or underestimated the assessment of a student or colleague?

What is strictly prohibited

The law declares war on the “black market” for dissertations.

1. Advertising “paper writing” services is illegal.
   It is prohibited to advertise services for the creation of academic works with subsequent alienation of authorship.
2. Generating AI text without warning.
   If a computer program generated the text and you did not indicate this in your work, it is officially considered academic plagiarism.
3. Hiding assistance.
   If someone helped you but you hid it, it can be interpreted as non-independent work.

Responsibility and consequences

The consequences of violations can now ruin a scientist’s life.

For researchers:

• Revocation of academic degrees (candidate, doctor of science, doctor of philosophy) and academic titles [3].
• Dismissal from work (especially for plagiarism and misrepresentation of authorship).
• Prohibition from practicing the profession: deprivation of the right to be a scientific supervisor, opponent, member of special councils or editorial boards for a certain period [4].

For institutions:

• If plagiarism or fabrication is found in the work for which the degree was awarded, the special council loses its powers, and a new one cannot be created for at least a year [5].

What to do now

How to work so you can sleep peacefully? We have compiled a checklist based on legal requirements:

1. Become a true author.
   The law clearly states that an author is someone who has made a significant contribution (idea, methodology, data, analysis) and approved the final text [6].
2. Label AI.
   If you used ChatGPT, be sure to indicate this and the generation method, otherwise it will be considered plagiarism.
3. Legalize assistance.
   The law allows you to involve other people in technical work (editing, translation, design, consulting). The main thing is to indicate their contribution to the work [7]. This is your “armor.”
4. Keep the original data.
   You should make sure the data is available after publication to prove there’s no fabrication.
5. Do not purchase authorship or co-authorship.
   Purchasing a turnkey text is a direct path to losing your diploma, even years later.
6. Check the translation.
   An incorrect translation can distort the meaning. Make sure that the translation does not become a falsification of data.

Science should flourish, not just survive

This law may seem like a “sword of Damocles,” but in fact it protects those who work honestly. It eliminates competition from those who simply buy results.

But remember: the law requires honesty, not “lone heroism.” The law explicitly provides for the possibility of receiving assistance (consulting, editing, translation) if it does not replace the author. You have the right to quality service that enhances your work, not falsifies it.