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Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Keywords

basic research, spirit of Chinese scientists, tolerance of failure

Abstract

Basic research is the source of original innovation and the foundation for building a strong nation in science and technology. Compared with applied development research and engineering research, basic research is primarily concerned with exploring the frontiers, proposing new concepts, discovering new laws, and establishing new theories. Its outcomes are often difficult to predict in advance and are rarely subject to sufficient experimental and practical verification within a short time frame. These characteristics expose basic research to three inherent challenges in the philosophy of science. First, the experimental verification of fundamental theories often requires a long period of time. Second, in many fields of basic science, strictly implemented “double-blind” experiments are difficult to achieve, and theoretical expectations inevitably influence experimental design, data selection, and the interpretation of results. Third, sociological factors within science, including the scientific community, evaluation systems, and societal expectations, may shape researchers’ attitudes toward “anomalous results” and “unexpected findings”. For these reasons, the “questionable research practices” between responsible research conduct and academic misconduct in basic research tend to be more concealed and complex, and are difficult to identify and regulate solely through institutional rules. This paper argues that the intrinsic nature of basic research and the challenges it faces call especially for the spirit of Chinese scientists. Researchers must maintain a broad sense of responsibility while upholding independent thinking, the pursuit of truth, honesty and integrity, and the courage to correct errors. At the same time, research management bodies and government departments should follow the intrinsic laws of basic research and foster an innovation environment that tolerates failure, encourages open debate, and respects long-term accumulation. Only by combining scientists’ own sense of responsibility with institutional tolerance of failure can the spiritual foundation of original innovation be truly consolidated.

First page

1295

Last Page

1303

Language

Chinese

Publisher

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences

References

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