Scientific integrity is essential to the self-correcting nature of science. But how can we ensure the quality and integrity of scientific research, and what frameworks can we create to foster it?
At a time when AI introduces new challenges to the traditional scientific publishing system and the integrity of many established researchers is under scrutiny, the importance of maintaining scientific integrity is more crucial than ever. On September 23, the Open Science Community Amsterdam together with the Student Initiative for Open Science hosted the Scientific Integrity Symposium to highlight interdisciplinary perspectives on the topic, discuss prerequisites for fostering a culture of research integrity, and addressed the growing challenges of scientific fraud.
UvA Open Science coordinator Frans Oort opened the event, followed by talks from international experts on fraud detection, Elisabeth Bik and Ben Mol, as well as national experts on research integrity Mariëtte van den Hoven and Gerben ter Riet. This event was part of a nationwide series held during the National Open Science week and is supported by Open Science NL.
Slides
Speaker slides can be found on our OSCA repository: https://osf.io/zpsrh/
Highlights
We believe that the symposium was a great success and it left us with some sobering insights. For instance, Ben Mol estimates that around 30% of randomized controlled trials in women’s health are fabricated or untrustworthy; Elisabeth Bik has flagged over 3,000 papers in biomedical research as potentially fraudulent, of which more than 1,200 have been retracted; Gerben ter Riet warned about conflicts of interest and the spread of false narratives when industries publish scientific research. These numbers underscore the need for more systematic control in scientific publishing. On a more optimistic note, the event also highlighted the importance of fostering a work environment that supports research integrity and encouraged researchers to speak up, a topic discussed by Mariëtte van den Hoven. Relevant training on this topic is offered, for instance, by the Dutch Research Integrity Network (NRIN).
About the speakers
Frans Oort is full professor of Methods and Statistics, director of the Research Institute of Child Development and Education, and vice-dean of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. Since 2019 he is the coordinator of Open Science at the University of Amsterdam.
Elisabeth Bik is a scientific integrity consultant based in San Francisco and a member of the eLife Ethics committee. She is renowned for her expertise in image forensics for scientific papers and has identified over 4,000 potential cases of scientific misconduct, including more than 400 linked to the “tadpole paper mill”.
Ben Mol has developed methods to detect fraud in scientific publications over the past 12 years, scrutinized articles for signs of manipulated data, and raised awareness about the impact of fabricated articles on medical guidelines. His discoveries as a whistleblower are frequently highlighted on the platform Retraction Watch.
Gerben ter Riet is a clinical epidemiologist at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) and specializes in the intersection of research integrity and quantitative research methodologies. He consults at the HvA Open Science Support Desk, and co-authored the 2015 ZonMw research program aimed at promoting responsible research practices.
Mariëtte van den Hoven chairs the executive board of the Netherlands Research Integrity Network. As an expert in professional ethics and research integrity, she leads a European consortium dedicated to developing training programs that promote responsible research practices and empower researchers to speak out on ethical issues within their fields.
