Integrity: Research

Abstract

Research Integrity as a topic is part of the wider field of research ethics or responsible conduct of research. Research Integrity is a topic that deals with adherence to ethical principles, national laws, policies and professional standards essential for the responsible conduct of research and can be traced back to the past four decades. Research Integrity gained popularity due to concerns about research misconduct as a result of the increased competition in the area of science due to increased government support and the urgent need to publish research findings among academics. There were concerns that some scientists were taking shortcuts including fabrication, falsifying data and abusing research participants in efforts to cut corners. Research Integrity is aimed at maintaining public trust, accountability and responsibility in the scientific research enterprise. Research Integrity can therefore be taken as a measure of the level to which researchers follow applicable regulations, ethical guidelines; and commonly accepted professional codes and norms of their respective research areas (Steneck (Science Eng Ethics 12(1): 53–74, 2006)). Research Integrity took a global dimension during the past three decades due to growth in international collaborative research. This entry discusses the history of the development of Research Integrity as an area of focus and highlights the main ethical issues that relate to the topic. Currently, there are numerous books dedicated to this topic and offices have been established in some countries and institutions to focus on this topic. The subject of Research Integrity is also being taught to students in some institutions of higher learning while there are various programs aimed at promoting the subject among research staff.