Research on the sophistication of assessing the actual state of research integrity and its system implementation
ABOUT
The national guidelines, revised in 2014, have significantly altered Japan’s research integrity landscape.
Despite the mandatory implementation of Research Conduct and Research Ethics (RCR) training for almost all university researchers, over ten misconduct cases remain identified annually. Correcting this situation and instilling Good Research Practices in the research field, including research misconduct and Questionable Research Practices ( QRPs), is essential to ensure the credibility of research activities.
The current challenge is to increase the effectiveness of efforts to promote research integrity, which is not limited to RCR education.
Research institutions must continue to create an environment and implement appropriate initiatives by understanding their actual research activities and their recognition of an actual state of research integrity under their circumstances.
In this research project, we aim to establish a system that enables research institutions in Japan to conduct the survey themselves and utilize the results, using the questionnaire survey developed to accurately grasp the actual status of research activities related to research integrity.
STUDY
-
1
Needs Analysis of Research Institutions and Survey/System Design
To comprehensively understand the requirements of research institutions and tailor questionnaire items to their specific needs, we will conduct interviews with various departments and organizations within domestic research institutions. The analysis items and methods will be categorized into multiple patterns, considering the research institution’s utilization methods, the targeted researchers’ scope, and the unique characteristics of each research institution. Subsequently, we will undertake the basic design of the system.
-
2
Development of a System to Automate the Analysis of Survey Resultsand Survey/System Design
Through the tabulation and analysis of data obtained from the questionnaire survey, we aim to develop a tool that visualizes the state of research integrity, providing research institutions with valuable insights. Our plan includes releasing the system as a user-friendly tool, accompanied by manuals and operation videos. The intended users are research integrity officers and University Research Administrators (URAs)
-
3
Analysis of the Actual Situation of Research Fairness
Reviewing prior research and survey findings will establish an analysis policy focusing on variations in research integrity across different research fields and positions.
Additionally, we will investigate the factors influencing research misconduct and Questionable Research Practices.
MEMBER
Masaki Nakamura
Professor at the Center for Education in Liberal Arts and Science, Osaka University (OU); Professor at the Graduate School of Humanities, OU; Professor at the Research Center on Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues, OU; Visiting Researcher at Institute of Research Integrity, Osaka Metropolitan University; Member of the Science Council of Japan; Founding member of Global Young Academy. His work in promoting research integrity takes many forms. For example, he is the Director of the Association for the Promotion of Research Integrity (APRIN), a member of the MEXT Council of Experts on the Promotion of Integrity in Research, and an advisor on research integrity of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Additionally, he is a member of the research misconduct investigation committees of several universities and a member of various other committees on research integrity. He is a co-author of For the Sound Development of Science: The Attitude of a Conscientious Scientist (edited by the Editorial Board of For the Sound Development of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science); Research Misconduct and Distorted Science: Beyond the STAP Cell Incident (edited by Eisuke Enoki; Nihon Hyoronsha); Science and Politics after the Disaster of March 11 in Japan (edited by Masaki Nakamura (Nakanishiya Shuppan); and other publications. Supervised the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Research Ethics e-Learning (eL CoRE) and collaborated in the creation of the APRIN e-Learning Program (eAPRIN).
Asako Miura
Professor, Graduate School of Human Sciences, OU. She is engaged in relevant research in the field of social psychology from the perspectives of both research and education, with a focus on research methods and the systems surrounding research. She is involved in significant projects dealing with research integrity as a principal investigator, including the KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research Project Demand Characteristics Revisited: Exploring the Process of Generating Social Psychological Data (2018–2021) and Constructing Centers in Japan for Verifying the Reproducibility of Social Psychological Research (2015–2018). She has served on the editorial board of three special issues relating to this topic, including New Forms of Psychological Research in the journal Psychological Review. She is the author of Psychology Basics, Vol. 1: I see! – Psychological Research Methods (Kitaooji Shobo). She is the editor of Psychological Research Methods (Foundation for the Promotion of the Open University of Japan) and others. Moreover, she collaborated in the creation of the APRIN e-Learning Program (eAPRIN).
Hideki Ichida
Associate professor at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Osaka Prefecture University. Director of the Institute of Research Integrity . He has been involved in project research and the development and implementation of educational programs in industry-academia and regional collaborations. He has also worked as a URA, and has been involved in activities related to the utilization of research results in universities for social implementation and the building of co-creation relationships with society. Currently, he is working on educational practices of research integrity from the perspective of promoting research innovation.
