Annual statement on research integrity: 2024 - 2025

The Concordat to Support Research Integrity requires employers of researchers to provide an annual statement outlining actions and activities that have been undertaken to support and strengthen the understanding, and the application, of research integrity considerations.

Section 1: Key contact information

Question	Response
1A. Name of organisation	University of Liverpool
1B. Type of organisation	Higher Education Institution
1C. Date statement approved by governing body	15/01/2026
1D. Web address of organisation’s research integrity page	liverpool.ac.uk/research/research-environment/research-integrity/
1E. Named senior member of staff to oversee research integrity	Name: Professor Kathy Burrell
	Email address: integrity@liverpool.ac.uk
1F. Named member of staff who will act as a first point of contact for anyone wanting more information on matters of research integrity	Name: Matthew Billington
	Email address: integrity@liverpool.ac.uk

Section 2: Promoting high standards of research integrity and positive research culture. Description of actions and activities undertaken

2A. Description of current systems and culture

The University has a number of frameworks, policies, and contacts to support good research practice.

Policies and systems

The University has policies and procedures in place to ensure that research is conducted to the highest levels of ethics and integrity, and these are available on the research integrity webpages. The University recognises the importance of clear policies and guidelines in embedding a culture of integrity and ethics within research practices. Such documents support researchers in understanding and acting according to expected standards, values and behaviours.

The University’s Policy on Research Integrity outlines a framework to ensure that all research is conducted in accordance with good research practice. The University Policy on Research Ethics provides a framework to ensure that all research is conducted in accordance with fundamental ethical principles.

The University’s Policy on Misconduct in Research outlines the procedure to be followed when there is an allegation of misconduct in research. This procedure has appropriate principles and mechanisms to ensure that investigations are thorough and fair, carried out in a transparent manner, and protected by appropriate confidentiality. Details of recent research misconduct investigations are provided at the end of this statement.

The University’s research integrity policies are reviewed on a regular basis in light of experience to ensure that they meet the requirements of an evolving global research portfolio and can be found on the University’s Research Integrity webpages.

The University's research ethics process provides rigorous safeguards and reduces harm wherever possible for all those involved in the research process by ensuring that the research is subject to active consideration of the ethical issues that may arise. The research ethics framework provides a mechanism for researchers to demonstrate engagement with ethical issues, and the process supports researchers in designing research to a high ethical standard.

The University’s Research Ethics Committees are constituted and operate in accordance with the Economic and Social Research Council Framework for Research Ethics and include lay representation, as well as a broad range of discipline expertise.

Communications and engagement

Policies are made available to staff through the University webpages and are referenced in staff and student handbooks. Further to this, communications on research ethics and integrity processes are made through the University's announcements system. Research ethics and research integrity are also a standing item on the University's Faculty Research Committees.

Information about University research-related policies and procedures is generally disseminated at induction via departmental and course programme handbooks. Induction for research students will normally include guidance about avoiding plagiarism and a requirement to undertake the University’s online training in research ethics and research integrity.

Culture, development and leadership

The University’s Strategic Framework outlines a vision to foster an inspirational, welcoming and inclusive culture in which all can thrive and reach their full potential. At the heart of the University’s research strategy is a research environment that reflects our place in the Liverpool city region, being both challenging and supportive. Researchers are supported to take risks and be innovative in a culture where ambitious ideas can flourish and develop into world leading research and impact.

Further information on the University’s research culture can be found on the researcher development webpages.

2B. Changes and developments during the period under review

During the 2024-2025 academic year, the University undertook a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing good research practice.

The University Research Integrity and Governance Committee held an away day to discuss the University’s Policy on misconduct in research, and ways to enhance research practices with a view to minimising the possibility of research misconduct occurring. Colleagues from the UK Research Integrity Office attended the away day to discuss good practice in managing potential research misconduct.

The University’s Research Integrity Leads met on a regular basis to identify and discuss good practice in research, and to coordinate awareness raising and training efforts.

Changes and developments during the period under review

A revised version of the University Policy on research misconduct was drafted and discussed by the Research Integrity and Governance Committee. The new version contains updates which align with the new UK Research Integrity Office template procedure for research misconduct investigation.

2C. Reflections on progress and plans for future developments

The new revised Policy on research misconduct is a substantial advancement on the current version due to the updates in light of the new UK Research Integrity Office template policy.

The University’s Research Integrity Leads will continue their work to enhance awareness of good research practice, increase completion rates for the University’s training in research integrity, and develop resources to meet the highest standards in research quality and rigour.

In the forthcoming year, one area of focus is on good research practice in the context of research collaborations.

Section 3: Addressing research misconduct

3A. Statement on processes that the organisation has in place for dealing with allegations of misconduct

Issues of potential misconduct in research

The University’s Research Integrity and Governance Committee oversees the integrity of the University’s research on behalf of the University Council. The University’s ‘Named Person for Research Integrity’ (Professor Elizabeth Perkins, integrity@liverpool.ac.uk) oversees the University’s research misconduct process, and provides a first point of contact for anyone wanting more information or to discuss concerns relating to research integrity.

The University’s Policy on Research Integrity outlines a framework to ensure that all research is conducted in accordance with good research practice; while the University Policy on Research Ethics provides a framework to ensure that all research is conducted in accordance with fundamental ethical principles.

These policies are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they meet the requirements of an evolving global research portfolio and can be found on the University’s Research Integrity webpages.

Policies are made available to staff through the University webpages and are referenced in staff and student handbooks. Further to this, communications on research ethics and integrity processes are shared through the University's announcements system. Ethics and integrity are also a standing item on the University's Faculty Research Committees and Faculty Regulatory Affairs Committees.

A research environment in which all staff, researchers and students feel comfortable to report instances of misconduct

The University recognises that concerns relating to research integrity can be complex, challenging and highly sensitive; and can impact upon the emotional and mental wellbeing of those involved.

Any person wishing to raise concerns about the integrity of research being conducted under the auspices of the University can do so in confidence through the Named Person for Research Integrity by emailing integrity@liverpool.ac.uk as part of the University’s ‘Policy on Misconduct in Research’. Concerns can also be raised initially at a local level within the institution via, or with the assistance of, an intermediary such as a Line Manager, Tutor or Supervisor, Head of School, Trade Union representative, Guild advice service representative, or colleague.

3B. Information on investigations of research misconduct that have been undertaken

The University of Liverpool is a large, research intensive organisation with tens of thousands of staff and students conducting research. Each year, the University receives details of a wide range of concerns relating to research integrity. The University considers such concerns under the framework of the Policy on misconduct in research.

A significant number of the concerns raised can be dealt with through competency, education, and training mechanisms. During the 2024-2025 academic year, over sixty research integrity issues raised through the Policy on misconduct in research were dealt with via these informal mechanisms at the Initial Assessment stage of the Policy.

Occasionally, concerns are investigated by a Screening Panel who determine whether there is sufficient evidence of misconduct in research to warrant a Formal Investigation; or whether the concerns raised are mistaken, frivolous, vexatious and/or malicious.

Some research integrity concerns which are uncovered require Formal Investigation by research misconduct panels as part of the later stages of the Policy on misconduct in research.

During the 2024-2025 academic session, there were no cases of potential misconduct in research which progressed to the ‘Formal Investigation’ stage of the University’s Policy on research misconduct.

During this period, the University completed two Formal Investigations of potential misconduct in research, listed as Case A and Case B in the table below. Case A concerned misrepresentation of interest, but it was determined that the allegations did not meet the threshold for research misconduct. Case B concerned the alleged failure to provide appropriate authorship recognition, and it was determined that the allegations should be upheld in part.

Lessons learned from the research misconduct cases

The University recognises the importance of using issues of research misconduct as important learning opportunities. Each research misconduct investigation concludes with a series of recommendations and lessons arising from the investigation. These recommendations are taken forward as part of the work of the University Research Integrity and Governance Committee; and a number of such recommendations have been described earlier in this statement.

Information on Formal Investigations of research misconduct that have been undertaken

The table below shows the number of Formal Investigations completed during the period under review, including investigations which completed during this period but started in a previous academic year.

Type of allegation	Number of formal investigations	Number upheld in part after formal investigation	Number upheld in full after formal investigation
Fabrication	0	0	0
Falsification	0	0	0
Plagiarism	0	0	0
Failure to meet legal, ethical and professional obligations	0	0
Misrepresentation (eg data; involvement; interests; qualification; and/or publication history)	2 – Case A and Case B	1 – Case B	0
Improper dealing with allegations of misconduct
Multiple areas of concern (when received in a single allegation)	0	0	0
Other*	0	0	0
Total	2	1	0