Research Integrity, Ethics and Impact Training

Lancaster University is committed to having the highest standards of rigour and integrity and ensuring that our research generates powerful impacts. This commitment is demonstrated through our investment in three training courses.

Picture of two scientists, one male and one female at a desk looking at a computer

Research Integrity Course

The Research Integrity online course is designed to help you understand your responsibilities as a researcher in upholding high standards of rigour and integrity. It identifies the principles and responsibilities you need to apply throughout your research project from planning your research through to data analysis and presentation. There are 13 modules in the course, more specialised ones include:

Trusted Research and Export Controls
Scholarly Publication
Intellectual Property
The Care and Use of Animals

Research Integrity for Postgraduate Researchers course

Research Integrity for Staff course

Ethical Research Course

The Ethical Research course is designed to provide you with the core skills needed to become an ethical researcher. The modules explore research ethics in its broader sense including the ethical challenges of different research methods and being aware of your own biases when interpreting results. You will learn about ethics approval, giving you an understanding applicable to your research project and/or as your career progresses.

Ethical Research for Postgraduate Researchers course

Ethical Research for staff course

Leaflet called 'Have your say' about the climate emergency

Research Impact Course

The Research Impact online course explores how your research can achieve positive change or benefit to research participants and wider society. It encourages you to plan for impact from the start of your research, identifying how you are going to engage with stakeholders and communicate your research. Modules include plenty of real-world case studies, inspiring stories and video interviews representing a range of researchers from across disciplines and at different career stages.

Research Impact course

Who is required to complete the courses?

Everyone involved in research - staff and students would benefit from completing the courses.

The University Executive Board (UEB) has made the decision that:

Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) are required to complete the Research Integrity and Ethical Research courses for PGRs prior to their confirmation of PhD status.
New staff on research or research and teaching contracts are required to complete the Research Integrity and Ethical Research courses for staff within 3 months of their start date.

Research Impact is highly recommended, but not required for PGRs and staff.

Research at Lancaster

These videos have been put together by researchers and research enabling staff at Lancaster. They demonstrate how Integrity, Ethics and Impact is at the forefront of our thinking when carrying out research.

Research Integrity

At Lancaster University integrity is at the heart of our research. This short video explores our commitment to open research, the care and respect we show to our research participants and how we use lived experience to make our research relevant. It highlights the importance of transparency in our research findings and recognises that biases and influences need to be acknowledged and avoided.

Ethical Research

Our researchers tackle some of society's most sensitive and challenging issues and ethics needs to be at the forefront of our thinking. This video looks at ethical considerations in the context of research at Lancaster. It acknowledges that ethical considerations are often complex and unique and that we need to apply values of fairness, respect, care and honesty to navigate these.

Research Impact

Lancaster's research generates powerful impact, driving transformative change. This short video provides a snapshot of some of our research projects and how they are making impact locally, nationally and globally.