NEWS

Sense about Science and Taylor & Francis launch
research integrity toolkit for early career researchers

New guide supports good research practice and strengthens trust in science

Sense about Science and Taylor & Francis have announced the publication of a comprehensive research integrity toolkit, created with and for early career researchers (ECRs). The guide addresses common questions and provides practical advice to help today’s researchers avoid integrity pitfalls.

At a time when the trustworthiness of information is a question in all parts of society, good research practice faces additional challenges from AI tools and paper mills, as well as the impact of precarious employment and limited funding on the pressure to publish. ECRs can feel these pressures more acutely, making it essential they have confident knowledge of the principles of research integrity.

The toolkit is authored by Sense about Science and Taylor & Francis with input from the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO), guided by honest questions and experiences shared by early career researchers during co-creation workshops. The result is a comprehensive resource which meets the real needs of researchers at each stage of the research process, from initial design through research conduct and manuscript development to peer review and dissemination.

Tracey Brown, Director of Sense about Science, said: “Public trust in science has never been more important, or challenging. This toolkit explores the research integrity issues that early career researchers encounter, the steps to take and the principles that will help them evaluate new situations.”

Jason Hu, Director of Research Integrity Engagement at Taylor & Francis, said: “When you are starting out in your research career there is so much to learn about the requirements and expectations of ethical research practice that it can be quite overwhelming. We were therefore delighted to help demystify and simplify these complex issues through this new toolkit.”

Hu continued, “We hope the publication ethics section will be especially valuable, as it covers many of the questions we regularly receive, such as determining authorship credit, understanding what constitutes plagiarism, and knowing what happens if integrity concerns are raised about a published article. Although it has been designed for ECRs, I’m sure the toolkit will be a useful refresher for researchers at all career stages!”

The new resource can be found on the Taylor & Francis website: Research integrity: A toolkit for early career researchers and is available to download as a PDF from the Sense about Science website.