Implementing Research Integrity Codes of Practice

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Implementing Research Integrity Codes of Practice

• Maura Hiney
• 24th September 2009

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Areas covered

• Why governance structures are important
• Scope of governance structures
• Levels of governance
• Core requirements of a governance structure
• Governance structures in practice international
  examples
• Some final thoughts

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• Governance Frameworks
• Why do we need them?

• Protect core principle of mutual trust
  necessary for knowledge sharing
• Provide common standards for everyone
• Protect individuals and institutions
• Ensure public confidence in research outputs
• Protect research investment into the future

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Consequences of misconductNot a victimless crime

• Patients treated in or as a result of fraudulent
  clinical trials
• The public, whose faith in research is undermined
• The decision-maker, with doubts about whether the
  data before them can be trusted
• The tax-payer or company whose money is wasted
• Researchers, whose reputation is diminished
• The research record contaminated with fraudulent
  data which may be difficult to eradicate

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• Governance Frameworks
• Reach and Scope

• Both scientific and scholarly research
• Ideally, publicly and privately funded research
• Should encompass core issues of misconduct,
  (Fabrication, Falsification, Plagiarism),
• Should also included other misconduct (see OECD
  list) although extent is grey area
• At very least, instances of misconduct that are
  deliberate or grossly negligent should be
  included

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• Governance Frameworks
• International considerations

• Research is increasingly a multi-national
  endeavour
• Differences with and between national policies
  create challenges
• What happens when allegations of misconduct are
  raised against international collaborations?
• Which country conducts the investigation or
  should all?
• How far should countries go in assisting other
  countries investigations
• What happens when two relevant national policies
  are at odds with each other?

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Levels of Governance
High
Level of risk
Low
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Core requirements (1)
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Core requirements (2)
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Core requirements (3)
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What about whistleblowers?

• How can whistleblowers be protected?
• Who has responsibility?
• Legislative
• Institutions
• What sanctions will be imposed for frivolous or
  malicious allegations?
• Safeguards need to be part of any mechanism of
  investigation.

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RI Governance in practice Agencies/Professional
bodies
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RI Governance in practice Local with national
oversight
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RI Governance in practice National Body
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Other European Countries
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Role of ENRIOEuropean Network of Research
Integrity Offices

• Information sharing from cases/issues
• To inform policy development
• Guide education and training
• Identify common issues and trends
• Liaise with other initiatives (e.g. ESF, OECD)
• Share practical systems experience
• Share developments in promotion and prevention

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Some final thoughts

• What happens at the interface between the public
  and private sector?
• What is the actual extent of misconduct?
• How can awareness about misconduct be raised
  without damaging good science in the eyes of
  the public?
• How can research practice be regulated without
  stifling research creativity?
• What is the best approach for Ireland to take?

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• In the end it has to be recognized that only
  when all actors accept responsibility, when
  careful checks and balances are introduced, when
  power is deliberately and rationally divided
  between government, funding agencies,
  universities, faculty or students, a system
  results in which trust, credibility and integrity
  are perceived to be the crucial values not only
  by the parties directly involved but also by
  society in general.
• Report of ESF/ORI 1st World Conference on
  Research Integrity, 16-19 September, 2007,
  Lisbon, Portugal published as ESF/ORI Science
  Policy Briefing No. 30.

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Thank you for your attention