Select Committee · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Reproducibility and research integrity

Status: Closed Opened: 22 Jul 2021 Closed: 19 Feb 2024 21 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

As the UK seeks to recover from the pandemic, research and innovation has the ability to drive economic growth, with UKRI estimating that every £1 spent on research and development delivers £7 in economic and social benefit. However, the integrity of research, especially medical and social science research, is at risk from what is known …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Reproducibility and Research Integrity HC 101 10 May 2023 28 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
7 Recommendation Sixth Report - Reproducibility and Rese… Rejected

Develop a co-produced framework for responding to research misconduct cases effectively

The UK’s lacks an established infrastructure for responding to research misconduct cases. The UK Government should lead on a co-produced framework with the UK Reproducibility Network, UKRIO and UK CORI, which sets out the roles and expectations for key actors when cases of misconduct are identified.

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to lead on a co-produced framework for responding to research misconduct cases, asserting that government should not investigate misconduct and that primary responsibility lies with research organisations.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
8 Recommendation Sixth Report - Reproducibility and Rese… Rejected

Assess benefits of establishing an additional body to investigate research malpractice

The UK Government should assess the benefits that an additional body, set up to investigate malpractice, could bring to the UK’s research integrity governance architecture.

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to assess creating a new body for investigating research malpractice, stating it is not the government's role and that primary responsibility lies with research organisations.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
16 Conclusion Sixth Report - Reproducibility and Rese… Rejected

Impose a three-year minimum contract for all post-doctoral researchers in universities

Uncertainty in the academic job market, especially at earlier career stages, acts as a strong additional disincentive against the prioritisation of reproducibility by researchers. Research funders, including UKRI, should work to impose a three-year minimum contract for post-doctoral researchers in universities. (Paragraph 89) Solving reproducibility challenges which emerge in the …

Government response. The government explicitly does not accept the recommendation to impose a three-year minimum contract for post-doctoral researchers in universities.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
2 Feb 2022 George Freeman MP · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, James Parry · UK Research Integrity Office, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser · UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) View ↗
19 Jan 2022 Dr Adrian Weller · University of Cambridge, Professor Sebastian Vollmer · TU Kaiserslautern View ↗
15 Dec 2021 Dr Alina Chan · Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19, Dr Ben Goldacre · Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Dr Elizabeth Moylan · Wiley, Dr Jessica Butler · University of Aberdeen, Dr Ritu Dhand · Springer Nature, Richard Horton · The Lancet, The Viscount Ridley DL · Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19 View ↗
1 Dec 2021 Dr Ivan Oransky · Retraction Watch, Dr Janine Austin Clayton · Office of Research on Women’s Health at the United States National Institute for Health, Professor Dorothy Bishop · University of Oxford, Professor Marcus Munafò · UK Reproducibility Network Steering Group, Professor Neil Ferguson OBE · Imperial College London View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
25 Feb 2022 Correspondence from Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, …