Author: Kendra Simpson – 3573734

Integrity in research was somewhat of a grey area to me, as I originally thought integrity to be a personified/ human characteristic, however, you may find integrity in most things of life, even in research. To have integrity as a researcher is to abide willingly by the set standards, principles and practices which have been tailored specifically to research outlined by professionals, organizations, research institutions and the public (Steneck, 2006). Some characteristics of integrity in research are: honesty in your research, trustworthiness, research which is absent of plagiarism, being objective with outcomes/ data/ analysis as opposed to allowing for misconceptions of results (Korenman, 2006). The University of Leicester defined integrity in research as presenting research which provides readers with a sense of trust and confidence in the research: methods, analysis, results, publications, etc (University of Leicester, 2014).

Research Integrity includes: ethics, peer review, publication and authorship, plagiarism, data management and protection, conflicts of interest and the use of research funds(University of Leicester, 2014).To be a researcher with integrity means to be a researcher who is responsible. In an article published in 2006, the author managed to classify the responsibility of the researcher into 8 separate sections/factions (which were more elaborate than that of the University of Leicester), these being (Korenman, 2006):

1. Honesty and fairness is essential in all research but specifically regarding that of proposals, performance and reporting of research.
2. Contributions to the research need to be given accurate and fair credit.
3. Peer review is required to be fair in their representation and competent.
4. Collaboration is vital for scientific interactions, resource sharing and  communication to allow for other researchers to confirm their results and assist with validity.
5. Transparency regarding conflicts of interest as personal advantage taints the integrity of the research.
6. Protection for human subjects when conducting research must be provided which can be achieved through informed consent, undisclosed information and ensuring that subjects understand every aspect of the research and their rights before participating.
7. Humane care of animals when research is being conducted is a requirement.
8. Respecting and adhering to the mutual responsibilities of mentors and trainees  (Korenman, 2006)

It is clear that the responsibility of the researcher seems fair and appropriate but it also identifies how easy it is to not adhere completely to all the standards, especially if you are not clear on what integrity in research includes. Personally until now I had no clue what was expected of a researcher and the responsibilities associated with being a researcher and subsequently I could have easily lacked integrity in my research proposal due at the end of this year or through my career as a Physiotherapist. It is important to understand all aspects of your career, especially the legal ones.

REFERENCES: 

• Korenman, S. (2006). Research Integrity. Retrieved August 14, 2018, from Teaching the Responsible Conduct of Research in Humans (RCRH): https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/ucla/chapter1/page02.htm
• Okkenhaug, K. (2003). Integrity in Scientific Research: Creating an Environment that Promotes Responsible Conduct. 327 (7420), 935-935.
• Steneck, N. (2006). Fostering integrity in research: Definitions, current knowledge, and future directions. Science And Engineering Ethics, 12(1), 53-74. Doi:10.1007/pl00022268
• University of Leicester . (2014). University of Leicester: Research support services . Retrieved August 15, 2018, from Research integrity : https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/researchsupport/research-integrity