Research Integrity

Responsible research practices (RRPs) encompass the ethical and methodological standards that researchers must adhere to when conducting and reporting their work. These practices include maintaining honesty, transparency, objectivity, and respecting intellectual property. Researchers are expected to manage data meticulously, follow ethical guidelines, and contribute positively to society. By upholding these principles, researchers ensure the reliability and validity of their findings which contributes to advancing the fields of science and scholarship.

A thorough understanding of RRPs, coupled with the ability to recognize research misconduct and identify questionable research practices, is essential for conducting research that is both ethical and credible. These foundational elements help maintain the integrity of research and build trust within the scientific community and beyond.

Research misconduct involves serious breaches of ethical standards that undermine the integrity of the research process. The following are generally considered the three largest violations of research integrity:

1. Fabrication involves creating or inventing data presented as if it were obtained through research. Fabrication undermines the fundamental purpose of science, which is to uncover and report the truth.
2. Falsification refers to manipulating data or selectively excluding research results to fit predetermined expectations or theoretical outcomes. Researchers should not alter data to align with their hypotheses, and data should only be excluded for well-documented reasons, not to skew results.
3. Plagiarizing includes using (parts of) others' publications and research results without proper attribution. Honest recognition of each contributor's intellectual property is essential for the integrity of science. Plagiarism encompasses not only direct copying but also paraphrasing without credit, omitting citations, or using data, designs, or tables from others without acknowledgment. While copyright laws provide legal recourse for victims, researchers can still be charged with plagiarism even if no immediate victim is evident.

To highlight the importance of research integrity, consider the widely reported case of Diederik Stapel at Tilburg University. He fabricated data in social psychology studies, yet over a decade later, his fraudulent work continues to be cited in new research. This underscores how research misconduct can distort findings, beliefs, and future studies.

These and other examples of research misconduct are detailed in the structured table at the end of this chapter.

We all strive to adhere to Responsible research practices, but certain situations can present challenges where the correct course of action is not always clear. While fraud and plagiarism are unequivocal violations of research integrity, there are gray areas where practices may not rise to the level of outright misconduct but still fall short of ideal standards. Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) are problematic behaviors that, while not considered outright research misconduct, fail to uphold the principles of research integrity.

Determining whether a particular action constitutes a QRP depends on the specific context. Factors such as the researcher’s intent, the extent of non-compliance, and the potential impact of the action are all considered in the judgement.

Examples of QRPs are detailed in the structured table below.