Data management training has emerged as the foremost unmet need for researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States, according to the latest national research integrity surveys conducted by Springer Nature. The surveys, part of an ongoing initiative launched last year, aim to provide region-specific insights into the perceptions and access to training in research integrity.
Data from the UK and US surveys indicate that eight out of ten of the top unmet needs for researchers are related to data. Among these, researchers expressed a need for training in data management, data repositories, data policies, metadata, and the curation of data.
A comparative analysis across all three surveys, including Australia in 2022, highlighted key findings: Over 50% of respondents from all three regions believe that research integrity training should be mandatory for postgraduates and early career researchers; US and UK institutions lag behind Australia in providing research integrity training. Approximately 50% of participants from the US and UK reported having access to such training, while nearly 70% in Australia did; and Early and mid-career researchers in the UK and Australia feel less likely to receive research integrity training via their institutions compared to institutional managers and senior researchers.
The surveys revealed a consistent pattern with the State of Open Data surveys, emphasizing that researchers lack support in sharing, curating, and managing data. This global trend raises concerns, particularly as major research funders increasingly require researchers to openly share their study data.
Springer Nature's commitment to supporting good practices internationally is evident in ongoing national surveys in India and Japan, with results expected in 2024. These efforts contribute to the evolving global understanding of training in research integrity.
The surveys underscore the need for concerted efforts to bridge the gap in research integrity training, especially in the critical area of data management, to ensure the highest standards in scientific research practices worldwide.
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