Overview
This mixed-methods PhD aims to explore how health researchers experience and address fraudulent participation, aiming to develop practical guidelines to protect research integrity across multiple aspects of Health research.
About this opportunity
The rapid growth of remote data collection methods and the increased use of artificial intelligence in research have transformed health research practice. However, these developments have also contributed to a marked rise in fraudulent research participation and doctored data, including fabricated responses, automated or AI-generated submissions, and misrepresentation of participant identities. These issues pose a serious threat to research integrity, data quality, and the validity of health research findings, with potential downstream impacts on clinical practice and policy development.
This mixed-methods PhD project aims to document the experiences of health researchers encountering fraudulent participants and manipulated data, and to develop evidence-based guidelines to mitigate these risks. The project will focus on four key areas of health research practice: public and patient involvement, qualitative research, quantitative research, and ethical and governance processes. By examining how fraud manifests across these domains, the project will identify vulnerabilities in current research practices and propose practical, ethical, and scalable solutions.
The doctoral candidate will play a central role in all stages of the project. In the first phase, the candidate will conduct a comprehensive literature review on research fraud, remote data collection, and AI-related risks in health research. This will be followed by qualitative interviews and focus groups with health researchers to explore lived experiences, challenges, and existing mitigation strategies. Quantitative survey methods will then be used to assess the prevalence and perceived impact of fraudulent participation across disciplines and methodologies. Findings from these components will be integrated to inform the development of practical guidelines and recommendations.
Training and collaboration are integral to the PhD project. The candidate will receive formal training in qualitative and quantitative research methods, research ethics, data integrity, and mixed-methods analysis. Additional training may include AI literacy, digital research methods, and advanced statistical techniques, depending on the candidate’s background. The project will involve collaboration with experienced health researchers, methodologists, and ethics professionals, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and co-authorship of publications.
The PhD will take place over three years. The first year will focus on training, ethical approvals, and study design. The second year will be dedicated primarily to data collection and preliminary analysis. The final year will focus on final analysis, guideline development and thesis writing. The PhD student will be supported in writing up findings for peer reviewed publication.