Research Integrity: Building and Supporting Research Trust

F1000’s Senior Editorial Operations & Peer Review Manager, Eleanor-Rose Papas, recently presented at the 3rd Peer Review Symposium for Academic Exchanges for the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) which explored the annual theme of “Research Integrity: Building and Supporting Research Trust”. More than 800 experts and scholars including managers, authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and librarians gathered online to focus on the annual theme of “Research Integrity: Building and Supporting Research Trust”. 

As part of her presentation, Eleanor-Rose discussed the important role open science practices play in establishing trust and integrity in research, specifically focusing on open peer review:

“One of the main reasons transparency and openness of all research output is so vital in establishing trust and integrity, is that it allows peer reviewers to validate information that they are shown – you can check whether the data or statistics used seem appropriate and correct, or whether a named peer reviewer is suitable to review. It’s easier to spot, discuss, and rectify misunderstandings with the ability to discuss things openly, and future readers can also see those discussions and reach their own conclusions.”

Eleanor-Rose also discussed the vital role that publishers play in preserving integrity within the process of publishing articles:

“One of the most important roles of a publisher like F1000 and Taylor & Francis, is to preserve the integrity of the process. This involves a myriad of critical factors; ensuring the right people are being invited to review, all the way to preventing systematic manipulation of the peer review process. At F1000, we employ a rigorous process in which all invited reviewers go through editorial checks. In addition, their names are published alongside their report as part of the open peer review process, including any conflicts of interest (if any), together with their expertise in the subject.

“For example, we wouldn’t allow someone who worked at the same institution to review an article, or someone who has worked closely with the authors, as this has too much potential to bias their thinking. We’ll also make sure that the email address we’re contacting someone on is independently verifiable and belongs to the reviewer we’re inviting.”

Watch the full recording of Eleanor-Rose’s presentation below:

A full transcript is available here:

3rd Peer Review Symposium for Academic Research

To learn more about how research integrity and peer review are connected, read our recent blog on F1000.