Caroline Gans Combe

This paper deals with the social costs of research misconduct and is based on findings from the European DEFORM Project (2017). Responsibility in scientific research is a complex amalgam, requiring demarcations along two major axes. Who are the actors (from researchers within the science sector, to external governance agencies)? What are the key quality considerations (those “intrinsic to science”, relative to “extrinsic” societal purposes)? We then exploit this framework to motivate innovative procedures of “extended peer community” dialogue around science quality, in this way reframing public, private and collegial responsibility.

This handbook is a ‘one-stop shop’ for current information, issues and challenges in the fields of research ethics and scientific integrity. It provides a comprehensive coverage of research and integrity issues, both within researchers’ ‘home’ discipline and in relation to similar concerns in other disciplines. The handbook covers common elements shared by disciplines and research professions, such as consent, privacy, data management, fraud, and plagiarism. The handbook also includes contributions and perspectives from academics from various disciplines, treating issues specific to their fields. Readers are able to quickly source the most comprehensive and up-to-date information, protagonists, issues and challenges in the field. Experienced researchers keen to assess their own perspectives, as well as novice researchers aiming to establish the field, will equally find the handbook of interest and practical benefit. It saves them a great deal of time in sourcing the disparate available material in these fields and it is the first ‘port of call’ for a wide range of researchers, research advisors, funding agencies and research reviewers.The most important feature is the handbook’s ability to provide practical advice and guidance to researchers in a wide range of disciplines and professions to help them ‘think through’ their approach to difficult questions related to the principles, values and standards they need to bring to their research practice.

This handbook is a ‘one-stop shop’ for current information, issues and challenges in the fields of research ethics and scientific integrity. It provides a comprehensive coverage of research and integrity issues, both within researchers’ ‘home’ discipline and in relation to similar concerns in other disciplines. The handbook covers common elements shared by disciplines and research professions, such as consent, privacy, data management, fraud, and plagiarism. The handbook also includes contributions and perspectives from academics from various disciplines, treating issues specific to their fields. Readers are able to quickly source the most comprehensive and up-to-date information, protagonists, issues and challenges in the field. Experienced researchers keen to assess their own perspectives, as well as novice researchers aiming to establish the field, will equally find the handbook of interest and practical benefit. It saves them a great deal of time in sourcing the disparate available material in these fields and it is the first ‘port of call’ for a wide range of researchers, research advisors, funding agencies and research reviewers.The most important feature is the handbook’s ability to provide practical advice and guidance to researchers in a wide range of disciplines and professions to help them ‘think through’ their approach to difficult questions related to the principles, values and standards they need to bring to their research practice.

Within the ProRes project

The World Conferences on Research Integrity Foundation (WCRIF) was established in July, 2017, as a non-profit organization with its official seat in the municipality of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The first five World Conferences on Research Integrity were convened before the creation of the Foundation. They were organized by co-chairs and planning committees.

The mission of the WCRIF is to promote research integrity through support for the ongoing organization and development of the World Conferences and all related activities. The WCRIF fulfills this mission by:
- promoting the continuation of World Conferences on Research Integrity on a regular schedule;
- ensuring organizational continuity between conferences;
- maintaining a World Conferences on Research Integrity website; and
- publishing and disseminating guidance or policies agreed to at World Conferences on Research Integrity.

This chapter addresses a double set of issues: (1) research misconduct of persons and organisations directly engaged in the practice of scientific research and (2) responsible research, meaning activities of discovery and innovation respectful of wider societal values. These two topics are clearly intertwined; but they are not the same. Drawing on results of the European DEFORM Project, we clarify the distinction between, and the inter-relations of, these two concepts. To highlight misconduct relative to “internal” standards of good science, we look at the phenomenon of research fraud. Then we turn to the call for responsible innovation relative to contemporary ecological and societal challenges of sustainability. Although two domains engage distinct considerations of integrity and responsibility in society, we can link them with a broad vision of “social costs” provoked by non-responsible research, thus providing a unified framework for addressing quality assurance for science in society.

The ongoing H2020 European research project “DEFORM: Determine the global and financial impact of Research Misconduct” includes within its objectives to work on a cost model to give a value to non-sustainable practices in research and innovation, this to make visible the full costs of short termist malpractices in such fields. In order to do so, the project has deployed a number of innovative decision -making IT tools including the deployment of an international database intending to provide a comprehensive definition of what is the perimeter as well as predictors of research & innovation misconduct to enhance/ease such adverse practices detection and mitigation by creating new models of responsible research governance and processes. The present paper presents the results achieved by the project during its first operational phase.

ESOF (EuroScience Open Forum) is the largest interdisciplinary science meeting in Europe. It is dedicated to scientific research and innovation and offers a unique framework for interaction and debate for scientists, innovators, policy makers, business people and the general public.

Created in 2004 by EuroScience, this biennial European forum brings together over 4 000 researchers, educators, business actors, policy makers and journalists from all over the world to discuss breakthroughs in science. More than 40% of the participants are students and young researchers.

The World Conferences on Research Integrity Foundation (WCRIF) was established in July, 2017, as a non-profit organization with its official seat in the municipality of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The first five World Conferences on Research Integrity were convened before the creation of the Foundation. They were organized by co-chairs and planning committees.

The mission of the WCRIF is to promote research integrity through support for the ongoing organization and development of the World Conferences and all related activities. The WCRIF fulfills this mission by:
- promoting the continuation of World Conferences on Research Integrity on a regular schedule;
- ensuring organizational continuity between conferences;
- maintaining a World Conferences on Research Integrity website; and
- publishing and disseminating guidance or policies agreed to at World Conferences on Research Integrity.

Key speaker – Data protection and Privacy