Research Integrity Helpline - guidance for those with concerns over the conduct of research

The Research Integrity Helpline is a service provided by UKRIO to offer advice and guidance on issues relating to the conduct of research.

To seek advice or to raise concerns about possible misconduct in research, contact us on:

0844 770 0644 or helpline@ukrio.org

What is the Helpline for?

Launched in 2006, the Research Integrity Helpine provides confidential advice and guidance to anyone with concerns about the conduct of research or who is involved in the investigation of allegations of misconduct in research.

Those who would find the advice useful might include:

• A researcher with concerns about the conduct of a colleague
• A manager who has received an allegation of misconduct in research
• Someone who has been informed that an allegation of misconduct has been made about their research
• Those responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct in research
• A participant in a research project who is worried about how that research is being carried out
• Anyone who has evidence of misconduct in a research project

Access to advice from UKRIO

The Research Integrity Helpline is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. To contact us, call 0844 770 0644.

Outside of these hours, you may leave a message and someone will contact you as you require.

Alternatively, you may contact UKRIO by emailing helpline@ukrio.org

Staff at UKRIO may be able to provide guidance directly. Alternatively, callers may be referred to an expert from our Register of Advisers or to an appropriate external regulatory body or other organisation.

Confidentiality

All calls are confidential and will not be recorded. Only those details agreed will be passed to an Adviser. No other parties will be informed, unless clear evidence of criminal activity has been presented.

Why call the Helpline?

Misconduct in research takes many forms. It can be serious and threaten lives; it can appear trivial but still greatly harm research.

Call the Research Integrity Helpline if you have concerns about:

• Fabrication: the fabrication of research data, processes or results.
• Falsification: the manipulation of research data, processes and results; also the omission of critical data or results.
• Misrepresentation: the misrepresentation of research data or of a researcher's interests or involvement.
• Plagiarism: the unauthorised use of or representation of another person's material as one's own original work.
• Research that may be causing unreasonable risk or harm to humans, to animals used in research or to the environment.

You might also wish to call the Research Integrity Helpline if you have concerns about:

• Poor management and preservation of research data.
• Refusal of reasonable access to unique research materials or data that support published papers.
• Use of inappropriate statistical methods or measurement to enhance the significance of research findings.
• Manipulation, falsification or selective use of digital or other images.
• Inadequate supervision of junior colleagues in research or exploitation of them.
• Conferring or requesting undeserved authorship, or denying deserved authorship.
• Multiple publication of data without disclosing that it has been published before.

To seek advice about these or any other matters, or to raise concerns about possible misconduct in research, contact us on:

0844 770 0644 or helpline@ukrio.org

Further information

A PDF leaflet which summarises the information on this page can be downloaded here.

UKRIO also welcomes general inquiries on any issues relating to integrity in research, as well as assistance with specific cases. Details on how to contact us can be found here.