"Research integrity refers to all of the factors that underpin Good Research Practice and promote trust and confidence in the research process” (UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO). Accordingly, research integrity is essential to the trustworthiness, excellence and quality of our research endeavours rather than hinder it.
The importance of Research Integrity to research at UCC is articulated in the Securing our Future - UCC Strategic Plan 2023-2028, Goal 1 Research & Innovation, Strategic Approach 1.4, to "Transform UCC’s research culture through the implementation of engaged research and open research, underpinned by [Research Integrity]*, and ethical and responsible practice." [*in the context of research, the term “academic integrity” in Strategic Approach 1.4 equates to Research Integrity].
As research integrity both safeguards and ensures a positive research environment, its importance to the research ecosystem is often described as ‘Research Culture‘.
Research in UCC, nationally and across the EU is underpinned by the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity-Revised Edition 2023, which articulates that Good Research Practices are based on fundamental principles of Research Integrity. These principles guide individuals, institutions, and organisations in their work as well as in their engagement with the practical, ethical, and intellectual challenges inherent in research.
These principles include:
- Reliability in ensuring the quality of research, reflected in the design, methodology, analysis, and use of resources.
- Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, reporting, and communicating research in a transparent, fair, full, and unbiased way.
- Respect for colleagues, research participants, research subjects, society, ecosystems, cultural heritage, and the environment.
- Accountability for the research from idea to publication, for its management and organisation, for training, supervision, and mentoring, and for its wider societal impacts.
Research integrity principles & processes cover the whole research lifecycle and applies to all of the research community & stakeholders. Its broad scope covers all research disciplines and all sectors where research is carried out.
UCC is committed to ensuring the highest standards of integrity in all aspects of research, founded on basic principles of good research practice to be observed by all researchers and research organisations. UCC is part of the National Forum on Research Integrity. The forum membership is drawn from research funders, research performing organisations and other relevant organisations.
UCC subscribes to UKRIO, experts in the field of Research Integrity and provide access to essential resources and services. The UKRIO help institutions achieve high standards when managing challenges to research integrity. They also support individuals faced with bad practice. UKRIO advice and guidance emphasises the good practice that runs across all research disciplines and all regulatory remits.
Conducting our research with integrity applies to all disciplines and stages of the research process, and it is essential for excellence in research. It applies to those carrying out research at all stages of their career and/or those involved in supporting research. Specifically the Code of Research Conduct applies to:
- All Research staff including postdoctoral researchers, research fellows and all staff engaged with research and staff involved in the research process (including technical, clerical, clinical and administrative staff employed by and visiting UCC).
- Research leaders and Principal Investigators.
- All Research collaborators.
- All supervisors of postgraduate and undergraduate research.
- UCC postgraduate and undergraduate students.
A positive Research Culture underpins Research Integrity and research excellence.
Institutional Requirements for Researchers
Disseminate Research Integrity Information
- Colleges and Units are expected to circulate and ensure the wide dissemination of key Research Integrity policy documents and guidance information, to all research personnel in your their areas: postgraduate research students, post-doctoral researchers, research support staff, Senior Researchers/Principal Investigators, College Executives and Research Committees.
Knowledge and compliance with key Research Integrity Policies
Research Integrity Training
At a very minimum it is expected that all UCC research personnel complete the Epigeum online training in Research Integrity, which is endorsed by the National Research Integrity Forum (NRIF). The NRIF recommendation is that this course should be taken at least once every three years in order for researchers to keep abreast of trends and developments in Research Integrity at a national and international level.
UCC Research Community stakeholders are strongly encouraged to avail of additional training in Research Integrity such as the Digital Badge in the Responsible Conduct of Research.
UCC Code of Research Conduct
UCC Code of Research conduct Policy Update [January 2025]
Following on from the recent publication of the revised National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland December 2024 and other developments in the research integrity and culture space, UCC Research is currently in the process of updating our research policy & practices in this space. Accordingly, the UCC Code of Research Conduct v2.4, 2021 is currently being revised to reflect and align with important changes in the national research landscape and will be made available in due course.
In the meantime, we would strongly encourage all members of the UCC research community to familiarize themselves with the commitments, principles & practices as set out in the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland Dec 2024, and seek to apply them to their processes and practices, as appropriate and necessary.
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The UCC Code of Research Conduct (Version 2.4 14th September 2021) provides a robust framework for the proper conduct of research and provides guidance for researchers on the standards expected at UCC. The Code captures the responsibilities of the University and the research community with respect to the conduct of research, including principles of good practice, ethical approval, competence, responsibility, integrity, rights and dignity of research participants, data management and dissemination.
The UCC Code of Conduct (Version 2.4) includes the following updates and revisions:
- GDPR regulations (Section 7.4);
- Data retention regarding undergraduate research projects and taught postgraduate programmes (Section 8.9, Page 17, Footnote 24);
- Procedure for identifying the relevant ethics committee (Appendix A, Page 22).
National & EU Research Integrity Policies & Guidance
The National Forum on Research Integrity (NRIF), established in June 2015, is coordinated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) and it serves to supporting the implementation of research integrity policies and processes in a harmonised manner across the research performing organisations in Ireland.
First published in 2014, the NRIF has recently revised the National Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland, December 2024, which provides a gold standard for researchers in Ireland. This Policy Statement commits Irish research organisations to uphold the highest integrity standards in conducting and sharing research, ensuring partners, the public, and the international community can have confidence in the outputs. It also guides knowledge users, the health system, industry, and the broader research community in maintaining integrity while conducting or utilising research evidence.
This revision aligns the Policy Statement with the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity-Revised Edition 2023, international norms and best practices in research integrity, and reflects national developments, keeping it relevant for the research community and organisations.
The National Research Integrity Forum recommend that these revisions are incorporated into institutional policies and practices across the research landscape to support Research Performing Organisations in nurturing a research environment that champions integrity through education, encourages positive research practices, and helps prevent misconduct and unacceptable practices.
The revision process included extensive feedback from Forum member institutions, prompting some important changes:
- The ‘Irish research community’ has been expanded to include the charity sector and PPI actors.
- The crucial contribution of mentors in shaping ‘responsible’ research practices is highlighted, along with the need for training in this domain.
- Initiatives to expand the outputs employed for evaluating research and researchers, such as membership in CoARA, are recognised.
- Expanded training and education modules on codes, frameworks, regulations, and AI use are encouraged.
- The recommendations on authorship practices now emphasise avoiding predatory journals and ‘paper-mills’, ensuring fair credit for contributions, and establishing collaborative agreements to prevent authorship disputes.
- Table 1, regarding unacceptable research practices, is significantly expanded to include additional practices deemed unacceptable in the European Code of Conduct on Research Integrity and other sources.
Following on from the publication of this revised National Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland and other developments in the research integrity and culture space, UCC Research is currently in the process of updating our research policy & practices in this space, including the UCC Code of Research Conduct v2.4, 2021. The updated UCC Code of Research Conduct will be made available in due course.
In the meantime, we would strongly advise all members of the UCC research community to familiarize themselves with the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland December 2024, and seek to apply them to their processes and practices, as appropriate and necessary.
The HEA Principles of Good Practice in Research in Irish HEIs are focused at institutional level and intend to promote good practice in research conduct by:
- Bringing together the main elements of good practice in higher education research.
- Articulating high-level principles within each of these.
- Signposting to more detailed policies where available.
The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity-Revised Edition 2023 serves the European research community as a framework for self-regulation across all scientific and scholarly disciplines and for all research settings.
The 2023 Revised Edition of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity has been updated to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and relevant to all disciplines, emerging areas of research, and new research practices. The European Commission recognises the European Code of Conduct as the primary standard for upholding research integrity across all research projects funded by the EU.
In addition, it increasingly serves as a model for national and institutional codes of conduct, funding guidelines, training initiatives, and discipline-specific standards. For example, the European Code of Conduct forms the foundation for detailed guidelines for responsible Open Science, developed by the Horizon-funded ROSiE project. Similarly, it underpins the living guidelines for promoting the responsible use of generative AI in research, developed by the European Research Area Forum.
The changes in the 2023 revision reflect an increased awareness of the importance of research culture in enabling research integrity and implementing good research practices and place a greater responsibility on all stakeholders for observing and promoting these practices and the principles that underpin them. They likewise accommodate heightened sensibilities in the research community to mechanisms of discrimination and exclusion and the responsibility of all actors to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion. It also takes account of changes in data management practices, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and recent developments in Open Science and research assessment.
Research Integrity Resources for Research Collaborations
In 2022 The National Research Integrity Forum (NRIF) published the national Framework to Enhance Research Integrity in Collaborations.
Collaboration is central to research and innovation. Increasingly, researchers work together and with a wide range of external stakeholders to deliver outcomes that expand the boundaries of human knowledge and have the potential to deliver real benefits for today’s rapidly developing society. Collaborative research can occur within and between national higher education or research performing institutions (inter-institutional collaboration), between and across different research disciplines (inter- or multidisciplinary collaboration), across national borders (international collaboration), and with a range of different partners including other higher education institutions, state research bodies, public sector organisations, private enterprises and civic/civil society organisations (CSOs) such as charities and voluntary organisations (inter-sectoral collaboration).
The Framework to Enhance Research Integrity in Collaborations is an essential and critical document to ensure all research personnel across the institution uphold the principles and practices of responsible conduct of research and research integrity. In keeping with Ireland’s National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity and with The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, collaborating partners need to commit to upholding the fundamental principles that underpin the integrity of all research activity. In addition to upholding and adhering to these aforementioned policies, stakeholders across the UCC Research Community are expected to:
