Reproducibility and research integrity

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 22 Jul 2021 Closed: 19 Feb 2024 Parliament page
As the UK seeks to recover from the pandemic, research and innovation has the ability to drive economic growth, with UKRI estimating that every £1 spent on research and development delivers £7 in economic and social benefit. However, the integrity of research, especially medical and social science research, is at … Read more
21 Recommendations
7 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
1 Letter
4 Events
Activity timeline 11 events
21 Jul
2023
Report published
10 May
2023
Report published
25 Feb
2022
Correspondence
2 Feb
2022
Oral evidence
2 Feb
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
19 Jan
2022
Oral evidence
19 Jan
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
15 Dec
2021
Oral evidence
15 Dec
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
1 Dec
2021
Oral evidence
1 Dec
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
2 Feb 2022
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George Freeman MP · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy James Parry · UK Research Integrity Office Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser · UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
19 Jan 2022
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Dr Adrian Weller · University of Cambridge Professor Sebastian Vollmer · TU Kaiserslautern
15 Dec 2021
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Dr Alina Chan · Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19 Dr Ben Goldacre · Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford Dr Elizabeth Moylan · Wiley Dr Jessica Butler · University of Aberdeen Dr Ritu Dhand · Springer Nature Richard Horton · The Lancet The Viscount Ridley DL · Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19
1 Dec 2021
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Dr Ivan Oransky · Retraction Watch Dr Janine Austin Clayton · Office of Research on Women’s Health at the United States National Institute for Health Professor Dorothy Bishop · University of Oxford Professor Marcus Munafò · UK Reproducibility Network Steering Group Professor Neil Ferguson OBE · Imperial College London
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Reproducibility and Research Integrity HC 101 10 May 2023 28 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
7 Recommendation Rejected
Sixth Report - Reproducibility and…
Develop a co-produced framework for responding to research misconduct cases effectively
The UK’s lacks an established infrastructure for responding to research misconduct cases. The UK Government should lead on a co-produced framework with the UK Reproducibility Network, UKRIO and UK CORI, which sets out the roles and expectations for key actors … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to lead on a co-produced framework for responding to research misconduct cases, asserting that government should not investigate misconduct and that primary responsibility lies with research organisations.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
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8 Recommendation Rejected
Sixth Report - Reproducibility and…
Assess benefits of establishing an additional body to investigate research malpractice
The UK Government should assess the benefits that an additional body, set up to investigate malpractice, could bring to the UK’s research integrity governance architecture.
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to assess creating a new body for investigating research malpractice, stating it is not the government's role and that primary responsibility lies with research organisations.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
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16 Conclusion Rejected
Sixth Report - Reproducibility and…
Impose a three-year minimum contract for all post-doctoral researchers in universities
Uncertainty in the academic job market, especially at earlier career stages, acts as a strong additional disincentive against the prioritisation of reproducibility by researchers. Research funders, including UKRI, should work to impose a three-year minimum contract for post-doctoral researchers in … Read more
Government Response
The government explicitly does not accept the recommendation to impose a three-year minimum contract for post-doctoral researchers in universities.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
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Government Response AI assessment · 28 of 21 classified
Accepted 4
Accepted in Part 11
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 4
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 3
Total 21 recs + 7 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
25 Feb 2022 Correspondence from Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, to the Chair regarding guidance to implement the Concordat to Support Research Integrity in Government
Parliament page