Factors influencing the promotion and implementation of research integrity in research performing and research funding organizations: A scoping review

• Published in: Accountability in research Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 633 - 671
• Main Authors: Roje, Rea, Reyes Elizondo, Andrea, Kaltenbrunner, Wolfgang, Buljan, Ivan, Marušić, Ana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 17-11-2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Biomedical research; Effectiveness; Funding; Integrity; Organizations; Participatory research; research funding organizations; Research integrity; research integrity implementation; research integrity interventions; research integrity promotion; research performing organizations; Reviews; Social sciences; Stakeholders; Taxonomy; research performing organizations; research integrity implementation; research funding organizations; research integrity interventions; research integrity; research integrity promotion
• ISSN: 0898-9621; 1545-5815
• DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2022.2073819

Promoting and implementing research integrity is considered the joint responsibility and effort of multiple stakeholders in the research community. We conducted a scoping review and analyzed 236 research articles and gray literature publications from biomedical sciences, social sciences, natural sciences (including engineering), and humanities that dealt with the factors that may positively or negatively impact the promotion and implementation of research integrity. Critical appraisal of evidence was performed for studies describing interventions aimed at research integrity promotion in order to provide insight into the effectiveness of these interventions. The results of this scoping review provide a comprehensive taxonomy of factors with positive or negative impact and their relatedness to individual researchers, research performing and funding organizations, and the system of science. Moreover, the results show that efforts for fostering and promoting research integrity should be implemented at all three levels (researcher, institution, system) simultaneously to deliver greater adherence and implementation of research integrity practices. Although various educational interventions aiming at research integrity promotion exist, we were not able to conclude on the effectiveness of explored interventions due to the methodological quality issues in the studies.