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Addressing poor research practice and research misconduct

Aims

This work seeks to develop a comprehensive insight into poor research practice and research misconduct in order to make appropriate and informed recommendations aimed at strengthening confidence across the system in how these issues are managed.

 We will look at:

  • the scale of research misconduct and poor research practices in the UK
  • the interrelationship between research culture and research conduct
  • approaches to addressing research misconduct and reducing questionable and poor research practice

Read our full terms of reference (PDF).

Partnership

A small cross-sector working group has been convened to draw on the experience of existing bodies within the research ecosystem to enable a fresh insight into the current landscape.

Working group membership

Co-chairs

  • Maria Delgado, UK Committee on Research Integrity
  • Louise Dunlop, UK Committee on Research Integrity

Members

  • Jane Alfred, UK Committee on Research Integrity
  • Mandy Cooke, GSK
  • Gareth Conway, Ministry of Defence
  • Rachael Gooberman-Hill, UK Committee on Research Integrity co-chair (observer)
  • Sarah Jasim, London School of Economics
  • Paul Manners, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement
  • Steph Neave, UKRIO
  • Mark Smith, University of Southampton
  • Sanna-Kaisa Spoof, Finnish National Board on Research Integrity
  • Anne Taylor, Wellcome (Research Integrity Concordat Signatories group)
  • Rebecca Veitch, UKRI (Research Integrity Concordat Signatories group)

Project updates

The addressing poor research practice and research misconduct working group convened on 5 August 2024.  

  • The working group noted that a contractor has been appointed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on behalf of the committee to deliver Addressing Research Misconduct in the UK (PS24037). 
  • The appointed contractor will deliver three concurrent workstreams:
    • Providing evidence on the UK Higher Education research sector’s governance of research misconduct.  
    • Exploring international models for managing research misconduct in Higher Education Institutions.
    • Exploring models that include assurance and regulation in UK sectors outside of Higher Education Institutions.   
  • The working group will convene on a bi-monthly basis to inform the commission and monitor progress.   

The Committee’s cross sector working group on ‘poor research practice and research misconduct’ met on 2 October 2024 to discuss and share feedback on the project’s:

  • methodology and approach 
  • extraction templates for workstreams one and two 
  • international comparators longlist 

Members were joined by RAND Europe project leads who presented on the ‘Research Misconduct in the UK’ project.