At the heart of research, in whichever discipline, is integrity. Researchers with integrity need to be honest both with the research they conduct, and their interactions with other researchers. This applies to the entire research process including the design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, publication and citation or recognition of the contributions of other researchers. It is also inclusive of the PhD thesis, transfer reports and any other reports produced in conjunction with the PhD registration process. In other words, there are well established ethical principles that researchers need to adhere to be considered as having academic integrity. Some of these that have contributed to the University of Nottingham’s understanding of ethical practice in research are the following:

• MRC Policy and Procedure for Inquiring into Allegations of Scientific Misconduct (1997)
• The University of Manchester Code of Practice for Dealing with Allegations of Misconduct in Research (1993)
• The University of Melbourne Code of Conduct for Research (1996)
• The University of Edinburgh Code of Research Practice (1996)

More generally, a good source of legal information about integrity in research can be found through the JISC Advisory Service.