Recommendations for "Research Integrity and the Organisation of Science"

1. Align Principles and Practices of Research Integrity

Actions for RPOs & Institutional support officers

Implement clear guidelines, codes of conduct, and policies on research integrity and ethical standards to ensure alignment with existing national and European frameworks and to promote responsible research practices
Acknowledge and address conflicting institutional imperatives and cross- pressures between research integrity (RI) principles and practices, such as tensions between open science, security concerns, and compliance with GDPR
Commit to revising research assessment policies in order to adopt more inclusive, diverse, responsible, and effective measures, with greater emphasis on qualitative evaluation
Commit to fostering a culture of research integrity that promotes inclusion and diversity by engaging researchers in training and actions for integrity in science
Ensure that institutional infrastructures and transparent lines of responsibility are in place to address detrimental research practices while respecting the principles of confidentiality and fairness
Ensure adequate administrative support for researchers throughout the research process and scientific projects, covering areas such as budget management, external collaboration and relations, and data management. Create awareness about existing resources
Provide continuous responsible conduct of research (RCR) training and counselling to researchers at all career stages and to other RI professionals working in the institution
Recognize and address differences in how research integrity, ethics, open science, and related concepts are understood and interpreted across national contexts and scientific communities, including broader societal perspectives
Organise cross-professional training for researchers, data protection officers, and communicators

Actions for Mediators & Researchers

Be committed to transparently assessing and communicating the credibility of scientific information, including instances of irresponsible practices, to help demonstrate the integrity and accountability of the scientific system
Incorporate research integrity in awareness raising, capacity building and training activities of students at all levels, e.g. in science communication and methods training
Ensure familiarity with established research integrity and ethics policies, principles, and codes of conduct within the relevant field, and commit to actively implementing and promoting these principles and practices

Actions for RFOs & National Policymakers

Implement clear and updated guidelines, codes of conduct and promote shared research integrity standards across European countries, institutions and funding organisations while taking contextual factors into account
Encourage research and funding institutions to commit to the CoARA principles. Promote the use of qualitative indicators of integrity-related contributions such as responsible mentoring, ethical leadership in collaborative projects, FAIR data production, public engagement, and responsible science communication
Require statements on research integrity considerations in grant proposals and project reporting to ensure that research integrity is considered, implemented and monitored
Support the sharing of best practices for fostering responsible research, with a focus on effective dissemination, meaningful collaboration, and avoiding superficial 'tick-box' approaches
Support the appointment of dedicated integrity and ethics officers in research institutions

Actions for the European Commission

Map existing tensions within European research systems and launch a targeted consultation with Member States, research funders, and academic institutions to document: a) researcher dilemmas in applying integrity principles (e.g., data sharing versus GDPR), b) misalignments between stated principles (e.g., transparency, rigor, and collaboration) and actual evaluation practices, and c) varying definitions and interpretations of “research integrity” and “trust” across disciplines and countries
Establish an intersectoral European working group comprising representatives from research-performing organisations, funding agencies, data protection and legal experts, ethics committees, and civil society organisations. Task the group with developing scenarios to reconcile competing principles (e.g., security versus openness) across diverse research contexts
Develop a contextualized and adaptive policy framework by defining a European baseline of shared integrity principles, including procedural integrity, respect for persons, transparency, and accountability
Develop and implement differentiated research integrity protocols tailored to specific sectors, disciplines, and methodological contexts, such as health, climate, social sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI)
Introduce proportionality clauses in open science policies to account for varying levels of data sensitivity and risk
Support the reform of researcher assessment and merit systems and encourage Member States and institutions to commit to the CoARA principles
Promote the use of qualitative indicators of integrity-related contributions, such as responsible mentoring, ethical leadership in collaborative projects, FAIR data production, public engagement, and responsible science communication