UKRIO welcomes widespread support for its work in ‘A Consensus Statement on Research Misconduct in the UK’

The UK Research Integrity Office welcomes the publication today of ‘A Consensus Statement on Research Misconduct in the UK’. UKRIO agrees that the UK’s mechanisms for ensuring good research practice need to be sustained and strengthened. We particularly welcome the Statement’s support for UKRIO and the recognition that our work deserves wider support from the research community.

Agreed at a high-level meeting convened by the British Medical Journal and the Committee on Publication Ethics, the Consensus Statement calls upon institutions and research funders to do more to prevent and detect misconduct and for UKRIO to receive long-term funding.

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, Chair of UKRIO, said: ‘UKRIO welcomes the publication of the Consensus Statement and its endorsement of our work. We will work with the research community to implement its conclusions, to help safeguard research integrity and enhance the UK’s world-class reputation for conducting exceptional and innovative research.

‘We have long championed many of the findings of the Consensus Statement, as have organisations such as BMJ, COPE and the Department of Health. Research misconduct damages the scientific record and betrays the public’s trust. It wastes public funds and risks harm to research participants, patients and the public. I am encouraged that the research community is uniting to do more.’

Professor Michael Farthing, Vice-Chair of UKRIO, added: ‘UKRIO is the only body in this country which offers dedicated support to the research community and the public on issues of research integrity. We are committed to working with other organisations that take these responsibilities seriously. I am delighted the Consensus Statement calls for our role to be enhanced and we look forward to exploring with the research community, funders and regulators how this might be taken forward.’

UKRIO’s response to the publication of ‘A Consensus Statement on Research Misconduct in the UK’ is available to download:

UKRIO response to Consensus Statement on Research Misconduct Feb 2012

Information on the high-level conference which produced the Consensus Statement can be found here.