Research Integrity (RI) is high on the agenda of both institutions and science policy. The European Union as well as national ministries of science have launched ambitious initiatives to combat... Show moreResearch Integrity (RI) is high on the agenda of both institutions and science policy. The European Union as well as national ministries of science have launched ambitious initiatives to combat misconduct and breaches of research integrity. Often, such initiatives entail attempts to regulate scientifc behavior through guidelines that institutions and academic communities can use to more easily identify and deal with cases of misconduct. Rather than framing misconduct as a result of an information defcit, we instead conceptualize Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) as attempts by researchers to reconcile epistemic and social forms of uncertainty in knowledge production. Drawing on previous literature, we defne epistemic uncertainty as the inherent intellectual unpredictability of scientifc inquiry, while social uncertainty arises from the human-made conditions for scientifc work. Our core argument—developed on the basis of 30 focus group interviews with researchers across diferent felds and European countries—is that breaches of research integrity can be understood as attempts to loosen overly tight coupling between the two forms of uncertainty. Our analytical approach is not meant to relativize or excuse misconduct, but rather to ofer a more fne-grained perspective on what exactly it is that researchers want to accomplish by engaging in it. Based on the analysis, we conclude by proposing some concrete ways in which institutions and academic communities could try to reconcile epistemic and social uncertainties on a more collective level, thereby reducing incentives for researchers to engage in misconduct. Show less
Promoting and implementing research integrity is considered the joint responsibility and effort of multiple stakeholders in the research community. We conducted a scoping review and analyzed 236... Show morePromoting and implementing research integrity is considered the joint responsibility and effort of multiple stakeholders in the research community. We conducted a scoping review and analyzed 236 research articles and gray literature publications from biomedical sciences, social sciences, natural sciences (including engineering), and humanities that dealt with the factors that may positively or negatively impact the promotion and implementation of research integrity. Critical appraisal of evidence was performed for studies describing interventions aimed at research integrity promotion in order to provide insight into the effectiveness of these interventions. The results of this scoping review provide a comprehensive taxonomy of factors with positive or negative impact and their relatedness to individual researchers, research performing and funding organizations, and the system of science. Moreover, the results show that efforts for fostering and promoting research integrity should be implemented at all three levels (researcher, institution, system) simultaneously to deliver greater adherence and implementation of research integrity practices. Although various educational interventions aiming at research integrity promotion exist, we were not able to conclude on the effectiveness of explored interventions due to the methodological quality issues in the studies. Show less
Various stakeholders in science have put research integrity high on their agenda. Among them, research funders are prominently placed to foster research integrity by requiring that the... Show moreVarious stakeholders in science have put research integrity high on their agenda. Among them, research funders are prominently placed to foster research integrity by requiring that the organizations and individual researchers they support make an explicit commitment to research integrity. Moreover, funders need to adopt appropriate research integrity practices themselves. To facilitate this, we recommend that funders develop and implement a Research Integrity Promotion Plan (RIPP). This Consensus View offers a range of examples of how funders are already promoting research integrity, distills 6 core topics that funders should cover in a RIPP, and provides guidelines on how to develop and implement a RIPP. We believe that the 6 core topics we put forward will guide funders towards strengthening research integrity policy in their organization and guide the researchers and research organizations they fund. Show less
Education is important for fostering research integrity (RI). Although RI training is increasingly provided, there is little knowledge on how research stakeholders view institutional RI education... Show moreEducation is important for fostering research integrity (RI). Although RI training is increasingly provided, there is little knowledge on how research stakeholders view institutional RI education and training policies. Following a constructivist approach, we present insights about research stakeholders’ views and experiences regarding how research institutions can develop and implement RI education and training policies. We conducted thirty focus groups, engaging 147 participants in eight European countries. Using a mixed deductive-inductive thematic analysis, we identified five themes: (1) RI education should be available to all; (2) education and training approaches and goals should be tailored; (3) motivating trainees is essential; (4) both formal and informal educational formats are necessary; and (5) institutions should take into account various individual, institutional, and system-of-science factors when implementing RI education. Our findings suggest that institutions should make RI education attractive for all and tailor training to disciplinary-specific contexts. Show less
Reyes Elizondo, A.E.; Calero-Medina, C.; Visser, M.S. 2022
This paper presents a method for classifying the varying degrees of interdependency between academic hospitals and universities in the context of the Leiden Ranking. A key question for ranking... Show moreThis paper presents a method for classifying the varying degrees of interdependency between academic hospitals and universities in the context of the Leiden Ranking. A key question for ranking universities is whether or not to allocate the publication output of affiliated hospitals to universities.Hospital nomenclatures vary worldwide to denote some form of collaboration with a university: academic hospitals, teaching hospitals, university hospitals, and academic medical centres do not correspond to universally standard definitions. Thus, rather than seeking a normative definition of academic hospitals, we are proposing a workflow that aligns the university-hospital relationship with one of three general models: full integration of the hospital and the medical faculty into a single organization; health science centres in which hospitals and medical faculty remain separate entities albeit within the same governance structure; and structures in which universities and hospitals are separate entities which collaborate with one another. This classification system provides a standard by which we can allocate publications which note affiliations with academic hospitals.Our three-step workflow effectively translates the three above-mentioned models into two types of instrumental relationships for the assignation of publications: “associate” and “component”. When a hospital and a medical faculty are fully integrated or when a hospital is part of a health science centre, the relationship is classified as component. When a hospital follows the model of collaboration and support, the relationship is classified as associate. The compilation of data following these standards allows for a more uniform comparison between worldwide educational and research systems. Show less
In 1636, captain Cristóbal De Velasco presented to a notary an inventory of books he had or had owned following an edict of the Inquisition. In the severely damaged document, De Velasco recounted... Show moreIn 1636, captain Cristóbal De Velasco presented to a notary an inventory of books he had or had owned following an edict of the Inquisition. In the severely damaged document, De Velasco recounted the books he had sold to Alonso Larios, the brother superior of the convent of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy in Real de Chiapa (Captaincy General of Guatemala). These volumes had been in the possession of Diego Sánchez de Pinos, an Inquisition commissioner who had named De Velasco as executor. This document presents us with a glimpse of the informal book trade that took place in New Spain. Especially of interest is that this exchange took place in the periphery of the viceroyalty, attesting to the books that men of the Church deemed necessary for their work and the networks to which they belonged. Show less
The act of reading is an elementary cultural technique which, together with writing, has allowed humans to pass on and access information beyond spatial and temporal limitations. Its importance is... Show moreThe act of reading is an elementary cultural technique which, together with writing, has allowed humans to pass on and access information beyond spatial and temporal limitations. Its importance is evident in the many uses and guises given to the verb ‘to read’. For example, the interpretation of other media is often referred to as reading. This expansion stems from the different aspects of the activity itself as well as its history. Thus, for book and reading historians, reading often includes the interpretation of images or listening to an oral performance. In this article I first reflect on why this conceptual expansion has taken place and how it has been useful to book historians. Given that concepts are never neutral, I also look critically at the ethical ramifications of considering certain modes of communication as ‘reading’. Lastly, I propose the use of a clear distinction between reading practices of the literate from media interpretation practices by illiterate people. Show less
As part of the SOPs4RI project, a comprehensive literature search was conducted to explore all relevantknowledge that may contribute to the aim of the project. This scoping review focuses on the... Show moreAs part of the SOPs4RI project, a comprehensive literature search was conducted to explore all relevantknowledge that may contribute to the aim of the project. This scoping review focuses on the experiences of RPOs and RFOs in the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidelines, and codes for the promotion of RI. It provides information about what contributes to the implementation of the RI practices, what the benefits are of these practices, and which factors may incentivise research misconduct. Show less
