Written evidence submitted by the UK Committee on Research Integrity

RE: Submission for consideration in the ‘Misinformation and trusted voices’ inquiry

We write as chairs and members of the UK Committee on Research Integrity in response to your current inquiry on misinformation and trusted voices. We welcome your inquiry as it asks fundamental questions at a key moment when there is increased appetite for clear and accurate information about scientific research and research in all forms.

The UK Committee on Research Integrity is a new addition to the research system and has formal responsibility for promoting research integrity. Vibrant, innovative research requires high integrity, and the Committee was established on the recommendation of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee. As the UK Committee on Research Integrity, we work on behalf of the UK research system, which includes higher education institutions; research institutes; public, private, and third sector organisations.

Trust and confidence in information provided by research, and in the system that generates it, is safeguarded by high standards of integrity. In the UK, achievement of high integrity in research is usually considered through attention to five core elements: honesty; rigour; transparency and open communication; care and respect; and accountability. These are described in the 2019 Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

The beneficial move towards openness across the research system means that information about research is increasingly available, usually through the internet. Making such information available means that; rigour can be demonstrated and assessed; that care and respect for research participants and the research record is visible; and it is clear and transparent who is accountable for the research.

Making information accessible as well as available requires time, resource, and consideration of diverse and appropriate engagement approaches. National Academies and many other bodies (including funders, research institutes, publishers, charities, and interest groups) already lead highly regarded initiatives that support openness of information. This work is crucial for the UK’s global position in research. Further focus on openness and transparency led by existing National Academies and other sector wide bodies would serve to counter misinformation and support trust in the products of research and in the research system that generates them. It will also require researchers and others who disseminate research findings to use the information available to distinguish what research is trustworthy and what is not.

Finally, as you are already aware, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee recently ran an inquiry into reproducibility and research integrity. The evidence and forthcoming report may also be of interest and relevance to your inquiry.

UK Committee on Research Integrity