Research Integrity & Publication Ethics:

a global perspective

Elizabeth Wager PhD

Publications Consultant, SideviewCo-Editor-in-Chief : Research Integrity & Peer Review

Visiting Professor, University of Split, Croatializ@sideview.demon.co.uk

Twitter: @SideviewLiz

Global problems?Global standardsPressure to publishPredatory publishersChallenges of global collaborationLong-distance investigation Research waste

Global initiativesCOPEDORA statementBeall’s ListWCRI

• Singapore Statement

• Montreal Declaration

REWARD

RIPREASE

Challenges for journal editors

E-journals now attract international submissions

Can journals apply local standards to all research?• Human research in countries without RECs• Different REC requirements• Animal research

Reviewer comment

Details supplied by authors

“Following the guidelines of UCL … and of NRES, such a questionnaire is exempt

from requiring REC approval”

What was the study?

A voluntary, anonymous questionnaire to professional medical writers (invited via email / websites) about their knowledge of publication guidelines

Editors should assess whether a study was ethical / had the appropriate approval … and should reject if not

Editors should assess whether a study was ethical / had the appropriate approval … and should reject if not

International submissions

Is misconduct increasing?Or are we just getting better at spotting it?

Journals shouldn’t ignore:• Fake reviewers• Plagiarism• Redundant publication (“self-plagiarism”)• Fabrication / falsification• Authorship disputes

Pressure to publish

Nearly all countries use number of publications to measure productivity

Some countries give ££ bonuses for publication in high impact factor journals

The impact factor “has become an obsession in world science”

IFs “warp the way that research is conducted, reported, and funded”

Aims to “eliminate the use of journal-based metrics” to assess research output

www.ascb.org/dora/

An unwelcome response to pressure to publish

Predatory publishers 693 publishers + 507 standalone journals (increase from 23 in 2012)

Scam journals, not peer-reviewed, not indexed, publish anything

Many based in India LMIC researchers vulnerable

http://scholarlyoa.com/2015/01/02/bealls-list-of-predatory-publishers-2015/

https://doaj.org/“whitelist” of legitimate OA journals

Challenges

Lack of global standards on research integrity

Difficulties of international collaboration

World Conferences on Research Integrity (WCRI)

http://www.singaporestatement.org/

http://www.researchintegrity.org/Statements/Montreal%20Statement%20English.pdf

WCRI-5 Amsterdam, 2017

How should journals approach suspected misconduct from

far-flung institutions? When to contact the institution? Concerns about fair treatment of those

accused / whistleblowers Concerns about quality of investigation What to do when institutions don’t respond?

http://publicationethics.org/files/Research_institutions_guidelines_final_0_0.pdf

ICMJEAdded new authorship criterion (2013) 1) substantial contributions to conception or design of the

work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; and

2) drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and

3) final approval of the version to be published; and 4) agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in

ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any parts of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Current concerns

Waste in research:• Unoriginal research• Poor design• Poor reporting

Weak design in animal studies over-estimates effect size

Randomization

Blinded assessment

Group size

Vesterinen et al MS 2010;16:1044

Review of 1117 studies in multiple sclerosis

50% of clinical trials unpublished

Of EU-funded health research 1998-2006 50% unpublished 570 million Euros of research had

“no detectable academic output”

Situation may be improving but evidence-base for most prescribed medicines is badly affected by non-publication

Galsworthy et al Lancet 2012;380:971

Initiatives to reduce waste in medical research

Prioritisation / question setting Trial registration Full reporting High quality reporting

What else do we need?

Research on research and reporting / peer review

Editors sharing good practice

EASE

Theme: “Scientific integrity: editors on the front line”

New journal

http://www.researchintegrityjournal.com/

Conclusions

There are plenty of challenges(some old, some new)

New technology & globalisation brings new opportunities and challenges

But there are also many global initiatives