Important topics for fostering research integrity by research performing and research funding organizations – A Delphi consensus study

Background: To foster research integrity (RI), it is necessary to address the institutional and system-of-science factors that influence researchers’ behavior. Consequently, research performing and research funding organizations (RPOs and RFOs) should develop RI promotion plans (RIPPs) outlining the concrete steps they will take to foster RI. So far, there is no consensus on which topics are important to address in RIPPs. This study aimed to explore which RI topics to address in RIPPs by seeking consensus from research policy experts and institutional leaders. Additionally, we aimed to rank the identified RI topics in priority. Methods: We employed a three round Delphi study to reach our objectives. Delphi studies include a series (‘rounds’) of questionnaires. To achieve consensus, results are fed back to respondents between subsequent rounds. In Round 1, we asked research policy experts to rate the importance of RI topics on a 1-5 scale. In Round 2, they were asked to rank the topics, which received consensus on importance, in order of priority to be included in RIPPs. In Round 3, experts were asked to provide answers to open-ended questions about the rationale behind the rankings in the previous round. Results: A total of 68 RPO and 52 RFO experts, representing different disciplines, countries and genders, completed one, two or all rounds of the Delphi study. There was consensus among the experts on the importance of 12 RI topics for RPOs and 11 for RFOs (67% agreement on ratings 4-5). The topics that ranked highest for RPOs concerned education and training, supervision and mentoring, supporting a responsible research process (e.g. through quality assurance), and dealing with RI breaches. The highest ranked RFO topics concerned dealing with breaches of RI, conflicts of interest and setting expectations on RPOs (e.g. about educating researchers about RI). Conclusions: Together with research policy experts and institutional leaders, we developed a comprehensive overview of topics important for inclusion in RIPPs of RPOs and RFOs. The topics reflect a clear preference for a preventative approach to RI, coupled with fair procedures for dealing with RI breaches. Study pre-registration: https://osf.io/saj4u