Springer Nature, the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), and the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) have introduced the first continent‑wide survey focused on researchers’ experiences with research integrity training and support.
The initiative is designed to ensure that African researchers’ perspectives contribute to global understanding of how integrity is taught, supported, and embedded within research systems. The collaboration combines Springer Nature’s experience in engaging research communities with the regional expertise and networks of AAS and ASSAf.
The survey will explore the types of integrity training researchers receive, how it is delivered, the topics covered, and whether current support aligns with their roles and responsibilities. Research integrity is recognized as a foundation for reliable research, yet evidence remains limited on how training and support are experienced across different regions. Data from Africa is expected to provide a more complete picture of researchers’ needs.
Susan Veldsman, Scholarly Publishing Program Manager at ASSAf, noted that research integrity is essential for maintaining confidence in science and evidence‑based decision making. She emphasized that the survey offers South African researchers an opportunity to share their experiences, helping to identify effective support, gaps, and needs across different career stages.
Vuyo Mliswa, Academic Affairs Manager at Springer Nature, highlighted that African research makes a significant contribution to global science, but researchers’ experiences of integrity training remain underrepresented. He stated that the partnership with AAS and ASSAf is critical to ensuring African researchers are represented in this work.
The initiative builds on Springer Nature’s broader program of comparative surveys on research integrity training conducted with scientific organizations worldwide. Previous surveys in Australia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom revealed disparities in the provision of integrity training. Despite these differences, support for mandatory training was consistently high, with between 84% and 94% of researchers favoring it at some stage in their careers.
The surveys also identified common areas where researchers sought additional support. Authorship guidance was the only non‑data‑related topic consistently ranked among the top ten training needs. In countries such as Australia, the US, the UK, and Brazil, issues related to data management and sharing were particularly prominent.
This latest survey complements Springer Nature’s engagement with researchers through the African Research Advisory Council, which provides a forum for discussing priorities and challenges in the African research community. These discussions have underscored the importance of strengthening research capacity, leadership, and independence across the continent. By collecting data on integrity training provision, the survey aims to inform future training and policy development while contributing to broader efforts to enhance research integrity in Africa.
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