Our Programme of Work

UKRIO's aim is to provide a comprehensive service in support of research integrity to the research community. We welcome enquiries from both research organisations and individual researchers and, although our formal remit is to support the health and biomedical sciences research community, since our inception we have also provided advice and guidance applicable to all subject areas.

The main components of our current Programme of Work are listed in the left hand navigation. If you have any queries or would like more information on our work, please contact us.

Publication of UKRIO's Code of Practice for Research: Promoting good practice and preventing misconduct

UKRIO today launches its Code of Practice for Research: Promoting good practice and preventing misconduct.

The Code addresses long-standing concerns in the research community about research misconduct and questionable practices. The UK has a world-class reputation for conducting exceptional and innovative research and for producing researchers of the highest calibre.

UKRIO has now produced the Code of Practice for Research, a reference tool to support researchers and research organisations in the conduct of research of the highest quality. The Code can help research organisations ensure that important issues have not been overlooked and applies to all types of research.

Drawing upon UKRIO's experiences in addressing good conduct and misconduct in research, the Code provides principles and standards for researchers and research organisations and also includes a Recommended Checklist for Researchers: a one-page, non-technical checklist for the key points of good practice in research, based on the more detailed standards provided by the Code.

Professor Sir Ian Kennedy, Chair of the Board of UKRIO said: "UKRIO is increasingly providing support to universities and NHS Trusts who recognise that research misconduct and questionable practices can tarnish the UK's well-earned reputation as a centre of excellence in research. The Code is a vital part of our continuing work to encourage good conduct in research and to help to prevent misconduct, setting out the responsibilities and values critical to research, as well as providing practical guidance for researchers and their employers."

Professor Dame Sally C. Davies, Director-General of Research and Development at the Department of Health said: "I am delighted to see the UK Research Integrity Office continuing to deliver tools that enable researchers and their employers to maintain this country's international reputation in research and innovation. We rely on excellent, sound research to improve health and healthcare for patients and their families."

Individuals and organisations who would like to receive a hard copy of the Code should contact UKRIO.

The Code and a separate version of the Recommended Checklist are also available as PDFs:

UKRIO Code of Practice for Research: Promoting good practice and preventing misconduct (567KB)

Recommended Checklist for Researchers (25KB)

Press release: UKRIO Code of Practice for Research press release 01 10 09.pdf

For more information, please visit our page on the Code of Practice for Research.

UKRIO welcomes feedback on the Code. A web-based version of the Code, including a mechanism for the research community to submit feedback on specific sections and suggest new developments in good practice in research for inclusion, will be published on this site shortly.