Research integrity: opportunities for support and training

Research integrity forum
Training and courses
UK RIO
Ethics committee support

Research integrity forum

Open to all staff and PGR students, these academic-led sessions provide an opportunity to discuss what constitutes good conduct of research with a particular focus on contentious areas. The sessions aim to raise awareness of core expectations and standards, encourage reflection and debate, and support colleagues in a practical way.

Where sessions take place over lunch time, lunch is provided. To register for a session and/or to join the Forum's mailing list, please contact the RSPO.

Resources from previous sessions:

Please contact Zoe Clarke, the Research Integrity Officer, if you have a suggestion for a session topic and/or would like to contribute to the Forum.

Training and courses

Research integrity considerations inform many of the courses provided centrally for researchers, including in relation to grant writing, publication, public engagement and impact. The following provision addresses research integrity and ethics as a specific topic:

For PGR students:

The University has developed an online Research Integrity Tutorial, designed as an introduction to the University’s principles, policies and procedures in relation to research integrity and ethics, and tailored to the specific needs of PGR students. Successful completion of the tutorial is a compulsory progression requirement for all PGR students.

The Research Integrity Tutorial is located in the Yorkshare VLE module list for all PGR students. A demo version is also available in the VLE for staff, so that PGR supervisors in particular can familiarise themselves with it. Please contact integrity@york.ac.uk for further information.

For staff:

The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) includes a core session on Ethics and Integrity in Academic Practice.

The Research Leaders and the Research Leaders: Supervisors’ Pathway programmes incorporate research integrity and ethics as a core element and include a more detailed workshop session on the topic as one of the options.

For all PGR students and research staff:

Research Integrity and Ethics

All those engaged with research are expected to maintain the highest standards, from initial conception and conduct of the research through to dissemination and application. They also have a duty to consider how the work they undertake, host or support impacts on the wider research community and on society as a whole.

‘Research integrity’ refers to high quality and robust practice across the full research process; it includes research ethics, which focuses specifically on the avoidance of harm.

This session is suitable for Postgraduate Researchers, Research staff and Research Enabling staff. All those engaged with research are expected to maintain the highest standards of research integrity, from initial conception and conduct of the research through to dissemination and application.
During this highly interactive session you will be encouraged to consider and discuss real case scenarios and case studies based on a variety of ethical dilemmas and challenges faced by researchers in different fields. These discussions will help you develop a deeper understanding of the principles of research integrity and the importance of ethical decision-making in your work.
We will talk about the Trusted Research initiative and how it aims to help researchers manage the risks presented by international research activities and to ensure that the research is undertaken in compliance with UK law.
In addition, this session will provide guidance on managing research data and advice on undertaking Data Protection compliant research.

Learning objectives:

Apply the University guidelines and procedures relating to ethics and integrity including the process for ethical approval at York to your research
Engage with debates and discussion about research integrity scenarios
Identify common ethical issues that might arise in relation to research
Recognise your obligations under the Data Protection Act and where to get additional support and guidance.

Upcoming session dates and booking are available through the Learning Management System (log in required)

Data Protection

The session will explore the relationship between data protection legislation and research, looking specifically at the issues of consent, determining the legal basis for processing data, drafting privacy notices, undertaking privacy impact assessments, embedding data protection by design and default and ensuring best practice in relation to data handling and information security. The course covers both the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

Objectives - By the end of the session, staff and students will better understand regulatory requirements and have the tools and knowledge needed to undertake data protection compliant research.

Book via SkillsForge or the staff Learning Management System.

The University’s Information Governance Officer and Acting Data Protection Officer provides support and guidance on all matters relating to data protection. Find out more about data protection.

The Library’s Research Support Team provides support and guidance on research data management, open access, copyright, bibliometric indicators and scholarly profiles (eg ORCID, Scopus). For information about the training sessions offered by the Team, see the Library Training webpage. Email lib-research-support@york.ac.uk for one-to-one support or to arrange departmental training.

UK RIO

UK Research Integrity Office

University of York has been a subscriber to the UK Research Integrity Office since 2017.

What is the UK Research Integrity Office?

The UK Research Integrity Office is an independent advisory body, offering support to the public, researchers, and organisations to further good practice in research. A registered charity, it was created in response to longstanding and growing concerns about the reliability of research.

UKRIO is the UK’s most experienced research integrity organisation. Since 2006, it has provided independent and expert support across all disciplines of research, from the arts and humanities to the life sciences. It works to enhance good research practice, address mistakes, questionable practices and fraud, and improve the culture and systems of UK research.

What is research integrity?

Research integrity is another name for ‘good research practice’. It’s the conduct of research in ways that promote trust and confidence in all aspects of the research process.

Research integrity covers all research and the whole lifecycle, from the initial idea and design of the project through the conduct of the research and its dissemination. It also covers making sure that environments and systems for research safeguard and enhance good research practice, rather than hinder it – often described as ‘research culture‘.

See here for more about research integrity.

What can UKRIO offer researchers?

Education – guidance and support through publications on research practice, training activities and a comprehensive events programme

Sharing best practice – clear and honest development for the research community through facilitated discussions about key issues, informing national and international initiatives, and working to improve research culture.

Expert guidance – confidential and expert advice and guidance, as a proactive service for both institutions and individual researchers, as well as in response to requests for assistance.

Get confidential advice on research integrity and research culture issues for example achieving good practice, publication ethics, research misconduct, research ethics, conflicts of interest and improving research culture.

Ethics committee support

Support for Ethics committees

The University has a devolved structure for conducting ethical review and approval, compromising an overarching University Ethics committee and a number of local Research Ethics Committees. The resources below have been compiled to support the latter in their approach to ethical review.

Core Frameworks:

University of York Code of practice and principles for good ethical governance

Identifying the appropriate route for ethical review (PDF , 235kb)

Guidance on ethics governance requirements for research conducted outside the UK

Guidance on record keeping (PDF , 67kb)

Academic Ethics and Compliance Committee pages

Data protection and GDPR

Data protection establishes key principles that govern the collection, use and handling of personal information and provides individuals with important rights. The University sets out guidance on GDPR Compliant Research.

All Ethics Chairs have been issued with a standard GDPR compliant Participant Information Sheet. These templates have been amended by individual departments to better reflect departmental need and can be made available, on request, for reuse. For further information contact the Information Governance and Acting Data Protection Officer dataprotection@york.ac.uk.

There is a library of training resources, containing slide decks (and video recordings where available) for sessions provided by the Data Protection Office (sign-in required).

Payments to participants

Guidance for payments to people involved in research and similar studies is set out on page 31, section 11.17 of the University of York Financial Regulations.

Research data management

The University outlines good practice in research data management (RDM).

There is a library of training resources, containing slide decks (and video recordings of training where available) for sessions provided by the Data Protection Office (sign-in required).