How libraries enhance research ethics for researchers

Author: Saskia Hoving

Editor-in-Chief

For librarians, one of the most critical roles is to ensure that researchers have the knowledge and resources they need to conduct their work ethically. With the increasing scrutiny on research practices, it's more important than ever for researchers to be well-versed in ethical principles and their practical applications. Libraries are uniquely positioned to provide this essential support. In this second blog of our series on supporting researchers, we explore how researchers can find the support from their libraries that will enable them to publish their findings with confidence and integrity.

What are research ethics?

While research ethics cover the principles and guidelines which govern research (for example honesty, confidentiality, fairness, and beneficence), research integrity refers to how these principles are put into practice. Research integrity means conducting and reporting research so that others have trust and confidence in your methods and findings.

It’s clear that research integrity needs to be fully integrated into the entire research process, educating researchers from the very start about best practices so that their research is of a high standard and makes a real contribution to their field. However, even those researchers with the best intentions could find themselves in breach of ethical standards due to a lack of awareness of best practices. 

Protecting scientific integrity and supporting early career researchers

Publishers are taking many steps to safeguard the integrity of the publication record. In response to growing concerns about poor or even fake science infiltrating the literature, they have been developing many tools and workflows to identify problematic submissions as well as working to identify and retract problematic papers. According to Retraction Watch, over 10,000 papers were retracted in 2023 for reasons including misconduct, reflecting the proactive measures being taken to maintain the quality and reliability of scientific research.

This is a key area where libraries need to support early career researchers. They’re most at risk of getting it wrong, so set them up with the right training from the start. They’re also keen to learn, and efforts made to support them now will pay off as they proceed to navigate the research environment more capably as the researchers and professionals of the future.

Top tips for helping researchers publish ethically

Researchers need to be confident that they are following best practice, which will support their research in being published quickly, easily and ethically. Librarians are in a good position to raise awareness of poor research practices and promote responsible ones by providing research integrity-related services. Here are some practical tips on how to do this, by producing guides or creating and delivering interactive events: 

• Upskill researchers on research integrity and the publication process, sharing best practices on how to conduct ethical research, cite sources, and identify high-quality sources.
• Create checklists for researchers on evaluating sources and establishing if a journal is trustworthy, including:
  1. Does it show the signs of being a predatory journal, such as rapid publication, emails containing spelling and grammatical mistakes, content not matching their stated aims and scope? 
  2. Are the publications on topic for the scope of the journal and of good quality?
  3. Is it listed in the relevant journal finder tools and databases?
  4. Are they members of COPE?
  5. Can you access details about the editors easily?
• Ensure researchers have access to trusted resources. Accessing misinformation seriously impacts the quality of research, and using rogue websites can lead to cyberattacks. So, encourage them to use curated databases rather than illegal websites.
• Organise workshops and events, where researchers can ask questions as well as receive training.
• Provide plagiarism detection software and citation tools alongside specialist support and training on copyright and intellectual property issues. Data management, privacy and security are prime areas where researchers need support. 
• Address the increasing use of AI writing tools. Watch the webinar on Research Integrity and AI from Springer Nature’s Director of Research Integrity, Chris Graf, which guides you through the positive and negative potential of AI and provides resources to help in your efforts to educate your researchers.
• Help your researchers become agents of their own learning. Empower them by encouraging self-directed learning and providing the necessary tools and resources. Additionally, develop researchers' critical thinking and promote lifelong learning through workshops and training sessions. 

Further resources

As founding partners of GetFTR and SNSI, Springer Nature streamlines the discovery and access process for researchers to high quality content, and supports librarians and the wider academic community with tools and knowledge to combat cybercrime. Both initiatives are part of our longstanding commitment to supporting the academic community and protecting the integrity of published content. 

You can read more about research integrity in our librarians’ blog, where we further explore academic integrity in the library, and demystifying research impact.

Our blog for researchers, The Source, offers advice on many topics across the research lifecycle, including a free online tutorial on research integrity for beginners. The Research Integrity: Publication Ethics course provides in-depth guidance on maintaining ethical standards in publishing. The Focus on Peer Review course is designed to enhance understanding and skills in the peer review process. The new Predatory Publishers: a quick guide course teaches researchers how to identify and avoid predatory publishers to protect their work and reputation. Additionally, you can read about the innovative tools we’re developing to safeguard the integrity of the publication record.

The next blog in this series continues the journey through the research cycle, looking at the role librarians play in promoting published research, with practical hints and tips. 

Related content

• Practical tips for librarians to support early career researchers’ success
• ECR Program: Bridging the gap between librarians and researchers
• Insights into researcher training needs and expected librarian support
• Virtual versus in-person seminars: Which training support is most beneficial?
• How can institutions help researchers navigate the publication process?

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