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Research Integrity

The É«ÇéÖ±²¥app expects its employees to carry out research as outlined in the policy document Good Research Practice. This sets out our commitment to research integrity and our expectations of those who conduct research in our name.

The Good Research Practice policy and guidance is designed to facilitate the conduct of research at the RVC, and includes links to many related policies and tools.  

We expect the highest standards of research integrity from the researchers we support, irrespective of the sources of their funding, their area of research, their experience as researchers, whether they are lone scholars or members of a research team or where the research is to be conducted. 

Integrity in research is essential to:

  • safeguard high standards in research
  • retain the public's trust in science
  • enhance the RVC’s and UK’s international reputation
  • ensure the safety & wellbeing of research participants

What do I have to do?

The RVC expects all staff and students undertaking research to take personal responsibility in adhering to these core principles, and to be aware of and comply with a range of policies including:

All RVC researchers (Staff and students) are expected to routinely complete a  (RVC access only)

As part of RVC’s commitment to the Concordat to support Research Integrity, annual reports on Research Integrity are submitted to our Council: 

2024 Annual Report on Research Integrity   

Resources:

RVC is part of UKRN which hosts an open repository with a range of free training and resources () 

  • Research Integrity a Landscape Study (2020) 
  • : the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) - March 2017.
  • : Science Europe (June 2015)
  •  (Finland 2022)

Additionally, RVC supports the . The Code of Practice for Research is an essential reference tool to support researchers and research organisations in the conduct of research of the highest quality and standards. It also helps to prevent misconduct, setting out the responsibilities and values critical to research, as well as providing practical guidance for researchers. The Concordat was updated in 2025, and associated documents will be updated where necessary in due course. 

Procedures for dealing with allegations of Scientific Misconduct

Any allegation of scientific misconduct will be taken seriously by the RVC and will be thoroughly and promptly investigated. Scientific misconduct has been defined by the Royal College of Physicians as including piracy, plagiarism and fraud:

  • Piracy is the deliberate exploitation of ideas from others without acknowledgement
  • Plagiarism is the copying of ideas, data or text without permission or acknowledgement
  • Fraud involves deliberate deception, including the invention of data, and the omission from analysis and publication of inconvenient data

The RVC’s Policy and Procedure for dealing with allegations of research misconduct will apply as appropriate for dealing with allegations of scientific misconduct.

Please also see the RVC's Public Interest Disclosure policy and procedures (commonly referred to as Whistleblowing Policy).

Named contact: Professor Oliver Pybus (Vice Principal for Research and Innovation) is the RVC's named contact to act as a confidential liaison for whistleblowers or any other person wishing to raise concerns about the integrity of research being conducted at the RVC. He is also the first point of contact if you would like more information on matters of research integrity.

Other useful documents: 

 (UKRIO): an essential reference tool to support researchers and research organisations in the conduct of research of the highest quality and standards. It contains a one page .

: UK Research Integrity Office, 2009.


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