Final answer:
Fear of retaliation is a major factor that could discourage individuals from reporting research fraud, often due to potential personal and professional consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
One factor that might discourage someone from reporting research fraud could be fear of retaliation. This apprehension stems from concerns about negative consequences that the whistleblower might face as a consequence of their disclosure. This is highlighted in various contexts, such as abuse victims refraining from reporting due to fear of retaliation, as indicated by the research of Catalano (2007), which outlines that 12% of females and 5% of males chose not to report abuse due to this fear. Furthermore, in a bureaucratic environment, the potential personal costs of reporting wrongdoing, including the risk of losing one's job, can outweigh the perceived benefits of coming forward. This resistance within bureaucracies to external and internal criticism only compounds the issue, often making the choice not to report seem easier for individuals concerned about their livelihood.