Research Integrity: Hub & Key Concepts

Research integrity

The umbrella construct covering accurate reporting, faithful data representation, fair attribution, conflict-of-interest declaration, humane treatment of subjects, and responsible resource stewardship, distinct from research ethics and research compliance.

ByCASRAI Editorial Board

· Last updated 23 Aug 2026

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Research integrity is the umbrella construct under which specific responsible-conduct expectations sit: accurate reporting, faithful representation of data, fair attribution, declaration of conflicts of interest, humane treatment of human and animal subjects, and good stewardship of resources. It is distinct from research ethics (centred on the rights and welfare of subjects) and from research compliance (centred on regulatory rule-following), though the three overlap substantially in practice. This entry works as a routing hub across CASRAI’s research-integrity family rather than restating each concept below it.

Where the boundary sits: misconduct

Research misconduct is the narrowest, most consequential category — and has no single global definition; what counts, who investigates it, and what standard of proof applies vary meaningfully by jurisdiction. See fabrication, falsification, and the falsification vs fabrication comparison for the core FFP categories most jurisdictions recognise in some form.

Practices that fall short of misconduct but still erode integrity

A wider set of questionable research practices sit below the misconduct threshold but are still integrity concerns, typically handled through journal or institutional policy rather than a formal misconduct finding: salami slicing, duplicate publication, HARKing, ghost authorship, gift authorship, and coercive citation.

Who oversees it

Oversight bodies vary by country and hold different powers: the US Office of Research Integrity administers a federal regulatory definition (42 CFR Part 93); the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) is an advisory charity with no investigatory power, working from the UK Concordat; ENRIO, the European Network of Research Integrity Offices, coordinates practice across national bodies whose statutory powers vary widely.

Foundational statements

The Singapore Statement (2010), the Hong Kong Principles (2020), and the ALLEA European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023 revision) articulate shared operational principles across these otherwise fragmented jurisdictional definitions, without themselves being legally binding in any one country.

References

Singapore Statement on Research Integrity, 2010. ALLEA European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, 2023 revision. Hong Kong Principles (Moher et al.), 2020.

Use in your systems

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Schema.org DefinedTerm (JSON-LD)

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