Abstract

Research integrity is a key aspect of a healthy institutional research culture. Universities have started to establish the role of research integrity champions or advocates to help promote responsible research practice across the institution. However, it can be difficult to make the role effective and sustainable over time. On the one hand, research integrity champions are often also busy academics who are balancing teaching, research, administrative, service, and other responsibilities. On the other hand, although there may be a job description for the role, it can be difficult for both the champions themselves, and their heads of department, to understand the importance of research integrity and how to promote it within the academic unit. As a result, research management professionals who support the role may find it challenging to ensure effective engagement with these champions and the promotion of research integrity across the institution. The discussion table format will be used to address this challenge as it allows for the sharing of international best practice and experience that can contribute to raising awareness of the importance of the research integrity champion’s role and identify specific ways in which the champions can promote research integrity within their academic units. A brief job description for the research integrity champion role will be provided as a basis to start the discussion, followed by probing questions. Notes will be taken of the contributions from the groups of attendees. Afterwards, findings from the discussion table will be shared with conference participants in the form of a brief writeup. This approach will empower research management professionals in the research integrity space to provide more effective support and guidance to research integrity champions across their institutions, so the role is effective and sustainable, thus contributing to the promotion of a healthy research culture.