Research Integrity Policy

1        Introduction

National College of Ireland is committed to enabling and supporting the highest standards when conducting research activities. This ensures that all research activities align with national and international best practices.

This policy is informed by the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland (2024), by the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023) and National of College institutional guidelines which sets out good practice in promoting and ensuring research integrity.

The National College of Ireland maintains and enhances the institutional policies including the Research Integrity Policy, by conducting periodic reviews and continuously improving its policies and practices.

The purpose of this policy is to establish a framework for upholding the highest standards of research integrity at National College of Ireland (NCI). It ensures that all research activities conducted under the institution’s name adhere to principles of honesty, accountability, transparency, and respect, in alignment with national and international best practices, including the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity (2024) in Ireland and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023).

The policy provides guidelines on responsible research conduct, on the prevention of research misconduct and the procedures for addressing research integrity concerns.

It reinforces NCI’s commitment to fostering a research environment that promotes ethical scholarship and high-quality research outcomes, protecting both the reputation of the institution and its researchers, and to ensuring that all allegations of research misconduct are handled through transparent, robust, and fair processes.

2        Scope

This policy applies to all individuals engaged in research activities under the auspices of NCI, at all levels of the national framework for qualifications, including:

• Academic staff and visiting scholars
• Research assistants, postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, visiting researchers
• Undergraduate students, postgraduate students and exchange students undertaking a research project.
• Research support staff and administrative personnel involved in research governance
• Early Learning Initiative staff and non-academic staff conducting a research activity or working on a research project
• External collaborators conducting research in partnership with NCI

The term “researcher” is used throughout this policy as an all-encompassing term to refer to any or all of the above categories, as appropriate. A researcher is a member of the NCI’s community who performs diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to create knowledge, discover or revise facts, theories, applications, etc

This policy covers all research-related activities, including but not limited to:

• Research planning, funding applications, and project execution
• Data management, analysis, and reporting
• Publication, authorship, and dissemination of research findings
• Ethical considerations in research involving human participants and sensitive data
• Potential conflicts of interest
• Research misconduct and handling of allegations of research misconduct and adherence to institutional oversight mechanisms

This policy should be read in conjunction with NCI’s Code of Conduct for Researchers, Research Misconduct Procedures, Ethics Review Process, and Intellectual Property Policy, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive approach to NCI research governance.

Principles of research integrity presented in this document are also addressed in NCI’s Academic Integrity Policy. This policy underscores the significance of integrity within the research context, while matters concerning integrity violations are appropriately deferred to and managed under the purview of the Academic Integrity Policy and its related procedures.

3        Definitions

3.1     Research

Research is a process to discover new knowledge, through systematic investigation. Through research, hypotheses are investigated, facts are established, or new interpretations of data or texts suggested. It is a process of gathering and analysing information, designed to develop or contribute to knowledge, increase or revise knowledge. Therefore, as per the NCI’s Code of Conduct for Researchers, the term research includes fundamental and applied research, scholarship, creative work, performance, composition and related activities. It excludes the development of materials and content which are used for the purpose of teaching, but which are not based on peer reviewed research. 

3.2     Research Integrity

Research integrity refers to the ethical and professional principles that guide responsible research conduct, including honesty, reliability, accountability, and respect in research design, execution, and dissemination. It ensures that research is conducted in a transparent, reproducible, and ethical manner, in alignment with The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023) and NCI policies.

3.3     Responsible Research Conduct

Responsible conduct of research encompasses the research behaviours, supports and practices that enable research and innovation activities to be carried out with integrity, while considering the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of the work.

3.4     Research Integrity Officer (RIO)

Research Integrity Officer is the person appointed by Registrar to promote and oversee adherence to the principles Research Integrity Policy and Research Misconduct Procedures. RIO will also assist in the processing of any instances of allegations of research misconduct. The compliance aspect of the RIO role will be assisted by the Registrar's Office.

3.5     Conflict of Interest (CoI)

A conflict of interest occurs when a researcher's financial, personal, or professional relationships compromise, or appear to compromise, the objectivity, integrity, or independence of their research. CoI may arise in research design, data analysis, authorship, peer review, or collaborations. Researchers must disclose potential conflicts in accordance with NCI’s Conflict of Interest Policy and take steps to mitigate undue influence on research outcomes.

3.6     Research Misconduct

Research misconduct occurs when research integrity is compromised due to breaches of its principles and best practices.

Research misconduct includes but is not limited to fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, poor research practices, financial misconduct and procedural misconduct, unethical actions and other forms of unethical behaviour that compromise the integrity of research and violates institutional, national, and international research integrity standards.

Research misconduct applies to all stages of the research process, including data collection, authorship, peer review, and dissemination of findings. Allegations of research misconduct at National College of Ireland will be handled in accordance with process specified in the NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures.

3.7     Researcher

Any individual engaged in research activities under the auspices of National College of Ireland (NCI). A researcher is a member of the NCI’s community (academic staff, visiting scholar, research fellows, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, research support officers, postgraduate or undergraduate students, exchange students, visiting researchers, ELI staff, non-academic staff, collaborators working with NCI on funded or institutional research projects) who performs diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to create knowledge, discover or revise facts, theories, applications, etc

 All researchers must adhere to NCI’s Research Integrity Policy.

3.8     Student

An individual who is registered within National College of Ireland for a defined award at any level of the national framework for qualifications.

3.9     Vulnerable person

An individual who may have limited capacity to fully understand, consent to, or decline participation in a research study, or who may be at increased risk of harm or coercion due to personal, social, or institutional circumstances.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Children and minors (typically under 18)
• Individuals with cognitive or intellectual disabilities
• Elderly persons with impaired decision-making capacity
• Patients with serious or terminal medical conditions
• People with mental health disorders
• Prisoners or institutionalised individuals
• Economically or educationally disadvantaged persons
• Refugees, asylum seekers, or non-native language speakers
• Pregnant women or foetuses (in specific research contexts)

These individuals require additional ethical considerations and protections to ensure that their participation is fully informed, voluntary, and safe.

3.10     Fabrication

Fabrication refers to the intentional make up of data, results, findings and falsifying reports in research, leading to false or misleading conclusions. This constitutes a serious breach of research integrity.

3.11     Falsification

Falsification involves manipulating research materials, data or processes to misrepresent results. This includes altering or omitting data to produce misleading findings.

3.12     Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s work, ideas, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment. This includes self-plagiarism, where a researcher republishes their own work without disclosure or permission. Code of Practice for Academic Honesty and Integrity document provides further information on plagiarism.

3.13     Financial Misconduct

Financial misconduct refers to unethical or illegal practices related to the handling, management, or reporting of financial resources in a research setting.  This includes any actions that mismanage funds, using research funds for personal expenses, falsifying financial records, double-charging costs to multiple grants, not disclosing conflicts of interest that influence how funds are allocated, violating research funding policies such as NCI or external funding agency, or deceiving stakeholders about the financial aspects of research and failure to disclose conflicts of interest.

Financial misconduct in research has serious ethical, legal, and academic consequences, undermining, the integrity of the findings, and the reputation of National College of Ireland.

Financial misconduct in research constitutes a serious breach of research integrity involving the misuse, misreporting, or misappropriation of research funds and it is treated as a research integrity issue handled in accordance with process specified in the NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures.

3.14     Procedural Misconduct

Procedural misconduct means the violation of established procedures, protocols, or ethical guidelines during the design, conduct, reporting and dissemination of research. It includes actions that compromise the transparency, reproducibility, and ethical conduct of research, such as failure to follow approved protocols, inadequate informed consent, improper data handling, non-compliance with ethical standards and selective reporting.

3.15     Authorship

Authorship is the attribution of credit to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to a research project. Proper authorship follows ICMJE (Vancouver Protocol) and COPE guidelines and requires active involvement in conceptualization, data collection, analysis, or writing.

3.16     Ghost Authorship

Ghost authorship occurs when an individual who made a significant contribution to a research project is not credited as an author. This practice is unethical and violates research integrity principles.

3.17     Honorary Authorship

Honorary authorship occurs when an individual is listed as an author despite making little or no contribution to the research. This is a form of misrepresentation and is considered unethical.

3.18     Ethical Approval

Ethical approval is the formal review process conducted by the NCI Ethics Sub-Committee to ensure that research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data meets ethical guidelines. Ethical approval must be obtained before any research that poses potential risks begins.

3.19     Informed Consent

Informed consent refers to the voluntary agreement of participants to take part in a research study, based on full disclosure of the study’s purpose, risks, and benefits. It is a fundamental ethical requirement for research involving human subjects.

3.20     Data Integrity

Data integrity refers to the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of research data throughout its lifecycle. Researchers must ensure data is properly recorded, securely stored, and protected from unauthorized modifications or loss.

3.21     Data Management

Data management encompasses the collection, storage, sharing, and disposal of research data in compliance with NCI policies, GDPR, and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.

3.22     Open Science

Open Science promotes the transparent and accessible dissemination of research outputs, including publications, data, and methodologies. Researchers at NCI are encouraged to follow FAIR principles and responsible data-sharing practices while respecting confidentiality and privacy regulations.

3.23     Peer Review

Peer review is the evaluation of research by experts in the field to assess its validity, originality, and significance. Ethical peer review must be impartial, confidential, and free from conflicts of interest.

3.24     Artificial Intelligence in Research

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research refers to the use of artificial intelligence tools for datasets production, data analysis, text generation, or automation in research projects.

The use of AI in research is required to be self-declared to ensure that AI tools do not compromise originality, accuracy, authorship, or ethical standards.

Researchers are expected to clearly disclose if, how, and where AI tools were used in any stage of the research, including but not limited to data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, writing, or editing assistance, coding, figure generation, etc. Researchers performing AI-related research must ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act 2024), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and other relevant national legislation ensuring transparency and ethical oversight in high-risk applications (e.g., health, education, critical infrastructure).

4        Policy Statement

4.1     Principles of Research Integrity

Good research practices are based on fundamental principles of research integrity.

The National College of Ireland research integrity is upheld through adherence to internationally recognised standards and institutional commitments outlined in the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland (2024), and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023).

The National College of Ireland principles of research integrity include:

• Reliability in ensuring that research is designed, conducted, analysed and reported to the highest standards of integrity and quality. It involves careful planning, rigorous methodology, transparent data collection, and ethical use of resources, ensuring that findings are based on robust and reproducible research practices.
• Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, and communicating research work in a transparent, truthful, fair, and unbiased way. This includes accurate reporting of results, appropriate acknowledgment of contributions, and responsible engagement with stakeholders and wider society ensuring that research findings are trustworthy and ethically sound.
• Respect demonstrated in all interactions, whether with colleagues, research participants, research subjects, communities, society, cultural heritage, or the environment. Researchers should treat all subjects—human or animal—with dignity and fairness, comply with ethical standards, and recognize the contributions of others, ensuring responsible and ethical collaboration.
• Accountability for the research across the entire research lifecycle, from the initial idea to final dissemination, for its management and organisation for training, supervision, and mentoring.  Researchers are responsible for all aspects related to their research and adherence to institutional and regulatory guidelines. They must also consider the wider impact of their research on society, ensuring that the research outcomes are responsibly shared through publications, presentations, and engagement with the public.

Researchers at NCI are expected to apply these principles into their daily research practice, ensuring that all research activities meet the highest ethical and professional standards.

4.2     Ethical Research Practices

Ethical research is fundamental to ensuring that all studies conducted under the National College of Ireland (NCI) name uphold the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and responsibility. Researchers must ensure that their work is ethically sound, complies with national and international ethical standards, and protects the rights, dignity, and welfare of all involved.

4.2.1    Respect for Human and Animal Participants

Research involving human participants or animals must be designed and conducted with the utmost care, ensuring voluntary informed consent, respect for privacy, and compliance with ethical guidelines. Ethical approval must be obtained from the NCI Ethics Sub-Committee before any research involving human or animal subjects begins.

4.2.2    Minimising Harm and Maximising Benefit

Researchers must ensure that their work does not cause unnecessary risk or harm to participants, communities, or the environment. Studies should be designed to minimise ethical risks, and researchers should take steps to protect the rights of all participants and in particular vulnerable individuals/communities, and sensitive data.

4.2.3    Integrity in Research Design and Methodology

Ethical research requires rigorous and responsible study design, ensuring that methods are appropriate, valid, and transparent. Researchers must be honest about potential limitations, avoid misrepresentation, and ensure that their findings are presented accurately and without bias.

4.2.4    Confidentiality and Data Protection

Researchers must safeguard participant confidentiality and comply with data protection regulations, including GDPR. Personal data must be collected, stored, and shared responsibly, ensuring that participants' privacy rights are protected at all times. Researchers must follow the principles specified in NCI’s Data Protection Policy

4.2.5    Ethical Considerations in Collaborative and Cross-Cultural Research

Researchers engaging in collaborative, industry-linked, or international research must ensure that ethical standards are upheld across all partnerships. Cross-cultural research should be conducted with sensitivity to local customs, laws, and traditions, ensuring that ethical considerations extend beyond institutional and national boundaries.

4.2.6    Addressing Ethical Concerns and Misconduct

If ethical concerns or violations arise, researchers must report them to the Research Integrity Officer through established institutional procedures. Allegations of ethical misconduct in a research activity, including failure to obtain ethical approval, data manipulation, or mistreatment of research subjects, will be investigated following NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures.

4.3     Data Management and Confidentiality

4.3.1    Data Integrity and Security

Research data must be accurately recorded, securely stored, and protected from unauthorised access or modification. Researchers must implement appropriate security measures to safeguard data, particularly when handling sensitive, personal, or confidential information and follow the NCI’s Data Protection Policy guidelines.

4.3.2    Data Collection, Retention, and Disposal

Researchers must clearly define how research data will be collected, processed, and stored. All data must be retained for a minimum period aligned with NCI’s Data Retention Policy, after which it should be securely archived or destroyed in accordance with data protection laws.

4.3.3    Confidentiality and Participant Privacy

When handling personal data, researchers must ensure compliance with GDPR regulations and institutional policies, including:

• Obtaining informed consent for data collection.
• Anonymising or pseudonymising personal identifiers where possible.
• Restricting access to confidential datasets.
• Preventing misuse or unauthorised disclosure of research data.

4.3.4    Open Data and Responsible Sharing

Where appropriate, researchers should adhere to Open Science principles, making their data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR principles). However, data sharing must balance openness with privacy and confidentiality requirements, ensuring compliance with NCI’s research governance policies.

4.3.5    Third-Party Data and Ethical Use of AI in Research

Researchers using third-party datasets must ensure proper attribution and obtain the necessary permissions for external data sources and comply with licensing agreements and ethical guidelines.

When AI-generated research outputs are used, researchers must clearly disclose the use of AI tools in their work to maintain transparency.

4.4     Authorship and Publication Ethics

Researchers must ensure that all publications, whether journal articles, conference papers, reports, or other scholarly outputs, adhere to the highest standards of ethical authorship and responsible dissemination of knowledge.

4.4.1    Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be based on substantial contributions made to the research work, following the common guidelines for authorship criteria in academic publications such as the Vancouver Protocol (ICMJE) and COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

All co-authors of a publication must take collective responsibility for the integrity of the published work and must agree on the final version of the manuscript before submission.

4.4.2    Responsible Publication Practices

Researchers must ensure that their work is original and properly cited. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism (duplicate publication of one’s own work without disclosure), is strictly prohibited and constitutes a serious breach of research integrity and will be handled as per NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures.

Ghost authorship (excluding someone who made a significant contribution) and honorary authorship (including someone who did not contribute meaningfully) are considered unethical and violate NCI’s Research Integrity Policy.

Contributions from research assistants, technical staff, funders, or institutions should be properly acknowledged in all publications.

4.4.3    Conflicts of Interest and Transparency

All authors must declare any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that may influence their research findings or interpretations.

Any industry-funded or externally sponsored research must be conducted with full transparency regarding funding sources and potential biases.

4.4.4    Use of AI in Research Publications

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the process of creating, analysing, and presenting research findings or materials creation should be used responsibly and ethically and must be disclosed in publications.

AI-generated text or figures must not be presented as original intellectual contributions. AI generated materials must not be claimed as own intellectual property.

4.4.5    Publication Retractions and Corrections

If errors, ethical breaches, or research misconduct are identified after publication, authors are expected to issue errata or corrections to address minor mistakes. In cases of major errors, data fabrication, or unethical conduct the authors are expected to retract the publication.

Institutional investigations of publication misconduct will be handled in accordance with NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures.

4.5     Addressing Research Misconduct

Maintaining the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and accountability is essential to responsible research at National College of Ireland (NCI).  NCI will take all reasonable steps to adhere to the principles that underpin transparent, fair and effective procedures to deal with allegations of research misconduct.

Misconduct in research activities encompasses a broad range of actions which compromise the integrity of the research such as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and other forms of unethical behaviour that undermines the credibility of research and violates institutional, national, and international research integrity standards. Such behaviours are not acceptable at NCI and allegations of potential misconduct will be robustly investigated.

NCI has established clear procedures for reporting and investigating potential research misconduct, and details on the relevant disciplinary processes and procedures in case of allegations of research misconduct have been substantiated, are provided in NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures.

All researchers must be familiar with these procedures and report suspected research misconduct through the appropriate institutional channels.

4.6     Training and Continuous Development

At National College of Ireland (NCI), maintaining the highest standards of research integrity requires ongoing training and professional development. All researchers are expected to engage in continuous learning to ensure compliance with ethical, legal, and professional research standards.

To support this, NCI provides:

• Mandatory research integrity training for all academic and non-academic staff, for undergraduate and postgraduate students required to perform research task(s).
• Specialist workshops on topics such as research ethics, authorship and publication, data management, and conflict of interest disclosure.
• Access to national and international research integrity training and ethics resources

All new researchers and postgraduate research students must receive appropriate training and mentoring on research integrity and must attend the organised training events with appropriate attendance records.

Research leaders and supervisors must mentor their team members and offer specific guidance and training to properly develop, design and structure their research activity and to foster a culture of research integrity.

Training will take place on ongoing basis and if updates on the policy are implemented.

5        Research Misconduct Procedures

NCI will take all reasonable steps to adhere to the principles that underpin transparent, fair and effective procedures to deal with allegations of research misconduct.

These principles include:

• Integrity of the process: Investigations into research misconduct allegations must be fair, comprehensive, and timely, while maintaining accuracy and objectivity. Those parties involved in the process must disclose and manage any potential conflicts of interest. Detailed and confidential records are maintained on all aspects of the process.
• Fairness: Investigations into research misconduct allegations must be fair, transparent and in accordance with relevant laws. Accused individuals should receive written details of the allegations, have a fair opportunity to respond, and be allowed to have a representative present for any meeting or interview associated with the investigation or disciplinary hearing.
• Confidentiality: The investigation process should be conducted with confidentiality, in line with NCI’s process for responding to allegations of research misconduct as specified in NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures. Where possible, disclosures to third parties should be made on a confidential basis. Any legal obligations to inform third parties about misconduct allegations must be fulfilled appropriately and through the correct channels.
• No detriment: Individuals accused of research misconduct are to be treated as innocent unless proven otherwise. No person should face unnecessary penalties before the allegation is proven. Those who raise allegations in good faith must be protected from any negative consequences before, during, or after the process. However, appropriate action should be taken against individuals who make allegations in bad faith.

RIO will have primary responsibility to initiate and coordinate the investigation into research misconduct allegation and to implement the processes referred to in the NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures. RIO, assisted by Registrar, will appoint the Inquiry Panel and will ensure that necessary and appropriate expertise is secured to carry out a thorough evaluation of the relevant evidence in an inquiry or investigation

RIO shall not personally participate in any investigation panels or process, or seek to influence the work, findings or deliberations of panels.

6        Roles and Responsibilities

7        Compliance and Monitoring

Ensuring research integrity at National College of Ireland (NCI) requires ongoing oversight, compliance monitoring, and continuous improvement. All researchers and institutional bodies must actively uphold and enforce this policy through structured monitoring and review processes.

For research collaborations involving Maynooth University, researchers must also adhere to the principles and procedures outlined in the Maynooth University Research Integrity Policy, ensuring consistency in ethical standards and research conduct across institutions.

The Research Integrity Policy is integrated into the staff training and research students’ events and workshops run by the National College of Ireland, reinforcing ethical and research integrity standards among researchers.

7.1     Institutional Oversight

 The NCI Research Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation and effectiveness of NCI’s Research Integrity Policy and NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures

The Ethics Sub-Committee ensures that ethical research standards are upheld across all projects requiring ethical approval.

The Research Integrity Officer (RIO) monitors adherence to research integrity principles, and initiates, coordinates and implements the process for allegations of research misconduct. RIO also arranges research integrity training session(s).

7.2     Reporting and Review Cycles

This policy will be reviewed periodically by the NCI Research Committee to ensure continued alignment with national and international research integrity standards.

 Allegations of research misconduct will be handled in accordance with process specified in NCI’s Research Misconduct Procedures, ensuring fair and confidential investigations.

Compliance with mandatory research integrity training will be monitored by the Research Integrity Officer and Registrar’s Office.

7.3     Investigations and Enforcement

Researchers found in breach of research integrity policy may be subject to institutional disciplinary procedures, up to and including sanctions, funding withdrawal, or retraction of publications. Research Misconduct Procedures document provides further information on actions that may be taken against researchers found in breach of research integrity policy.

Anonymous and confidential reporting mechanisms are available to encourage whistleblowing on research misconduct while protecting the rights of both whistleblowers and accused individuals. The reporting mechanism follows the procedure specified in the Research Misconduct Procedures document.

7.4     Continuous Improvement

NCI commits to ongoing training and development initiatives to support researchers in upholding the highest ethical and professional standards.

Emerging best practices, legal requirements, and institutional feedback will be incorporated into future revisions of this policy.

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