Abstract
BackgroundStructured training in research integrity, research ethics and responsible conduct of research is one strategy to reduce research misconduct and strengthen reliability of and trust in scientific evidence. However, how researchers develop their sense of integrity is not fully understood. We examined the factors and circumstances that shape researchers’ understanding of research integrity.MethodsThis study draws insights from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 33 researchers in the life sciences and medicine, representing three seniority levels across five research universities in Switzerland.ResultsThe results of this study indicate that early education, moral values inculcated by the family and participation in team sports were the earliest influences on notions of honesty, integrity and fairness among researchers. Researchers’ personality traits, including degree of ambition and internal moral compass, were perceived as critical in determining the importance they attributed to conducting research with high ethical standards. Positive and negative experiences in early research life also had a significant impact on their views regarding research integrity. Two thirds of the study participants had not received any formal training in research integrity. Their awareness of training opportunities at their institutions was also limited.ConclusionAge-appropriate development of honesty and integrity starts as early as primary education. Research integrity training should be offered from the bachelors level and continue throughout the entire professional life of researchers. Although these courses may not imbue researchers with integrity itself, they are essential to improving the research culture, reinforcing integrity norms, and discouraging researchers who lack personal integrity from engaging in research misconduct.
Highlights
Structured training in research integrity, research ethics and responsible conduct of research is one strategy to reduce research misconduct and strengthen reliability of and trust in scientific evidence
We focus exclusively on ways in which respondents believed their sense of research integrity developed and the role research integrity training played in their scientific work
Discussions The results of this study indicate that early education, moral values inculcated by the family, and participation in team sports were the earliest influences on notions of honesty, integrity and fairness among researchers
Summary
Structured training in research integrity, research ethics and responsible conduct of research is one strategy to reduce research misconduct and strengthen reliability of and trust in scientific evidence. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States require all researchers working on projects funded by Satalkar and Shaw BMC Medical Ethics (2019) 20:72 two decades of mandated RCR training in the US, the evidence on effectiveness of these trainings in changing behavior of researchers remains inconsistent and weak [2, 9] Resnik argued that these training programs should not be evaluated in terms of the outcomes of positive behavior change in researchers but rather in relation to their awareness of norms, knowledge of good scientific practice and decision making process [4]. RCR training if available is often imparted to individuals who have already undergone some degree of conscious or subconscious reflection on integrity
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
