How should UK Universities deal with research misconduct?

This is a question that Universities have struggled with for many years. Alongside education, research delivers some of the biggest benefits to humanity. Yet research is also highly competitive and difficult to do well. While most researchers are diligent, there will always be a small number who misbehave. This problem has recently become more acute due to advances in AI and worries that the research publication industry is particularly vulnerable to manipulation.

However, detecting and dealing with research misconduct is also a sign of a healthy research culture. While no organisation likes to see research misconduct, the most important issue is not that it happens but rather how it is dealt with. To discuss experiences and best practice in this area, the University of Portsmouth hosted a national workshop at our London campus in collaboration with the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO). This June meeting brought together representatives from 17 universities, funders and research organisations keen to share best practice and discuss how to ensure that UK Universities remain internationally leading when it comes to research quality and accountability.

The University of Portsmouth’s London campus is a newly developed facility ideal for hosting national events and meetings due to its central location and transport links. Following an introduction from Jonathan Sandling, the London Campus Principal, the workshop started with Dr Simon Kolstoe, Associate Prof of Bioethics & University Ethics Advisor (Portsmouth), delivering a presentation called "Between a rock and a hard place: first-hand experiences of investigating research misconduct in universities”. This scene-setting talk introduced the day and was followed by Dr Josephine Woodhams & Dr Maruxa Martínez-Campos (UKRIO) presenting UKRIO's newly updated sector wide guidance. UKRIO, a registered charity with the aim of supporting research integrity, plays a vital role in providing benchmarks that Universities and research organisations can use to develop their own policies and processes.

Following a networking lunch with excellent opportunities for people from different Universities to informally share notes and experiences, Claire Dunning, a solicitor (Portsmouth), discussed legal aspects of research misconduct investigations, including experience based on a High Court case. This was then followed by Dr Thamarai Schneiders (Edinburgh) and Dr Anne Ploin (St Andrews) discussing their Wellcome Trust funded project currently running across a number of Scottish Universities seeking to provide better support for academics: "From Stress to Support: Reducing Barriers in Research Misconduct Processes with Cross Institutional Evidence”. This was followed by a lively open discussion session chaired by Dr Kolstoe. 

While the talks provided an excellent catalyst for discussion, perhaps the greatest benefit of the workshop was the networking opportunity for staff and academics dealing with these issues at different institutions. Many were relieved to hear that experiences were similar despite the nature of the area, meaning that quite often issues are dealt with from within our own institutional bubbles. While this may not be entirely avoidable, the workshop demonstrated that challenges are similar, and rather than competing against each other, this is an area where sharing experiences and best practice is fruitful for maintaining and growing an accountable and trustworthy research culture in UK Universities.