The following dates have been booked in the academic calendar by the planner:

• 19 February 10:00 – 13:00
• 18 May 10:00 – 13:00
• 20 August 10:00 – 13:00
• 5 November 10:00 – 13:00

For further inquiries regarding IRIMS training and meeting links, kindly contact Ms Feziwe Mseleni.

The Office of Research and Integrity is mandating staff and PG students to submit the Research Integrity Training certificate when applying for an Ethics application. Therefore, students and staff members need to complete the compulsory Research Integrity training (the Integrated Research Integrity Management (IRIMS) training), which is free. As with the ethics training (also compulsory), all postgraduate students should complete at least one training session within the IRIMS training schedule before submitting a EMELTEN-SSREC application.  Without proof of training, no application will be screened for processing and approval. These are important documents that form part of the application.

What is the difference between Research Integrity and Research Ethics?

Research ethics and research integrity are related concepts in responsible research practices, but they focus on different aspects:

Research Ethics

Research ethics refers to the principles and guidelines designed to ensure that research involving humans and animals (including the environment ) is conducted in a way that respects and protects their rights and welfare. Ethics in research often revolves around avoiding harm, obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, and conducting research in a fair and unbiased way. Research ethics are critical in studies where there is direct interaction with people or animals, and it includes frameworks like the Belmont Report's principles (respect for persons, beneficence, and justice).

Examples of research ethics issues include:

• Ensuring informed consent is obtained from all participants.
• Avoiding deception unless justified and ethically approved.
• Protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation.
• Maintaining participant confidentiality and privacy.

Research Integrity

Research integrity, on the other hand, refers to the honesty and transparency of researchers and the accuracy of the research process itself. It is about upholding principles such as honesty, accountability, transparency, and objectivity throughout all stages of research, from planning to reporting. Research integrity emphasises the quality of data, proper conduct in data management, and ensuring that findings are reported accurately and without manipulation.

Examples of research integrity issues include:

• Avoiding fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP).
• Ensuring accurate and complete data reporting.
• Properly acknowledging the contributions of all collaborators.
• Adhering to intellectual property and authorship guidelines.

Key Differences

• Scope: Research ethics focuses on protecting participants and maintaining ethical conduct in human and animal research, while research integrity focuses on ensuring that research is honest, accurate, and transparent.
• Guidelines: Research ethics are guided by ethical frameworks and approval processes, often through ethics committees (BaSSREC/EMELTEN-SSREC) . Institutional policies and professional standards guide research integrity and frequently involve internal oversight, such as a research integrity officer (in our case, Prof Minrie Greeff for NWU).