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Research Integrity e-learning Programme

Staff and students at Newcastle University can access free online training in research integrity.

The online programme is developed by Epigeum, their research integrity training is beneficial because it provides a consistent, portable, and internationally recognised standard of training that can facilitate collaboration, career development, and interdisciplinary research. There are three options within the Research Integrity collection:

Research Integrity

The primary course Research Integrity provides a comprehensive overview of how researchers can meet their responsibilities, setting out the key principles and practices of responsible research practice and guiding learners through the lifecycle of a research project. It is broken down into eight core modules and six supplementary modules.

Research Integrity: Refresher

Research Integrity: Refresher is designed for researchers who have completed research integrity training in the past. It will help you to check your knowledge of your responsibilities and to stay up to date with changes to relevant policies and guidelines. It also provides an overview of current and emerging topics relating to research integrity. We recommend completing refresher training every 2-3 years.

 

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers is designed for senior and established researchers, principal investigators, and research leaders who want to strengthen integrity across every stage of the research lifecycle.

The programme offers practical, real-world guidance across three core themes: leadership and research culture, research design and planning, and global, ethical collaboration. The programme is broken into short, focused courses, enabling flexible learning that fits around busy schedules. Participants can tailor their learning experience to reflect their role, responsibilities, and professional priorities.

 

Accessing the e-learning programme

The e-learning materials can be accessed by staff and students here: Epigeum Research Integrity Collection


The first time you sign in, you will be asked to agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

E-learning programme pathways

The below pathways have been identified to help colleagues and students navigate the e-learning suite and better focus their development:

Introduction to Research Integrity

Colleagues and students looking for an introduction to Research Integrity are recommended to complete the below modules as a minimum:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Responsible research practice

Irresponsible research practice

Refresher Training

Anyone who has previously completed Research Integrity training should complete the below modules every 2-3 years. The first module will help to identify any gaps in your knowledge so you can revisit training in these areas.

Research Integrity: Refresher

Research integrity knowledge check

UK policy updates

Current and emerging issues

Early Career Researchers, including RAs and PGRs

All Early Career Researchers, including Research Associates/Assistants and Postgraduate Researchers, are recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Responsible research practice

Irresponsible research practice

Planning your research

Managing and recording your research

Data selection, analysis and presentation

Scholarly publication

Professional responsibilities

Communication, social responsibility and impact

Research Integrity: Supplementary Modules

Conflicts of interest

Trusted research and export controls

 

ECRs who work with animals are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

The care and use of animals in research

 

ECRs who undertake research involving human participants are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Research involving human participants

 

ECRs looking to copyright, patent, and/or commercialise their work or who would like to find out more about intellectual property and the ownership of their research are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Intellectual property

Academics, including Research Fellows

All Academics who have not previously completed Research Integrity training are recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Responsible research practice

Irresponsible research practice

Planning your research

Managing and recording your research

Data selection, analysis and presentation

Scholarly publication

Professional responsibilities

Communication, social responsibility and impact

Research Integrity: Supplementary Modules

Conflicts of interest

Trusted research and export controls

Research supervision and mentorship

 

Academics who have previously completed Research Integrity training are recommended to complete the below modules every 2-3 years:

Research Integrity: Refresher

Research integrity knowledge check

UK policy updates

Current and emerging issues

 

Academics with a management, supervisory, or leadership capacity to their research role, such as Principal Investigators, supervisors, Group Leaders, Directors of Expertise, Directors of Postgraduate Research, Directors of Research, and research related Deans are additionally recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Leadership and research culture:

  • Fostering positive research cultures
  • Responsible research leadership and communication
  • Preventing authorship issues and resolving disputes

 

Experienced Academics, including Principal Investigators, supervisors, grant recipients, and project budget holders, are additionally recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Research design and planning

  • Strategic project planning
  • Data integrity and management
  • Reproducibility and open research

 

Academics working with international partners are additionally recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Ethical and global collaboration

  • Building equitable and trusted partnerships
  • Navigating international collaborations

 

Academics who work with animals or who are involved in ethics review processes for animal research are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

The care and use of animals in research

 

Academics who undertake research involving human participants or who are involved in ethics review processes for research with human participants are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Research involving human participants

 

Academics looking to copyright, patent, and/or commercialise their work or who would like to find out more about intellectual property and the ownership of their research are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Intellectual property

Professional Services (Administrative & Operational)

All Professional Services colleagues who support research are recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Responsible research practice

Irresponsible research practice

 

PS colleagues who directly support research projects, such as Project Managers, are additionally recommended to complete this module to help build their understanding of the responsibilities of everyone involved:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Professional responsibilities

 

If you travel abroad for your work or work with international partners, this additional module is recommended:

Research Integrity: Supplementary Modules

Trusted research and export controls

 

PS colleagues supporting publications via the Current Research Information System and Library Research Services staff are additionally recommended to complete these modules:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Scholarly publication

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Research design and planning:

  • Reproducibility and open research

 

PS colleagues involved in copyright or patents (including Business Development and Enterprise colleagues) are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary Modules

Intellectual property

 

PS colleagues who work on the Farms or with animals at any other sites or who are involved in ethics review processes or committees for animal research are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

The care and use of animals in research

 

PS colleagues who directly support research involving human participants or who are involved in ethics review processes or committees for research with human participants are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Research involving human participants

 

PS colleagues involved in funding decisions, such as the allocation of funds from internal funding pots, are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Conflicts of interest

 

PS colleagues who support research with a management or leadership capacity to their role, such as Heads of Faculty Research, School Research Managers, and Centre for Doctoral Training Managers, are additionally recommended to complete the below modules, as are colleagues involved in the Research Culture Programme, such as Project Leads:

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Leadership and research culture:

  • Fostering positive research cultures
  • Responsible research leadership and communication
Technicians

All Technicians are recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity: Core Modules

Responsible research practice

Irresponsible research practice

Planning your research

Managing and recording your research

Scholarly publication

Professional responsibilities

 

If you travel abroad for your work or work with international partners, the below additional module is recommended:

Research Integrity: Supplementary Modules

Trusted research and export controls

 

Technicians who work on the Farms or with animals at any other sites or who are involved in ethics review processes or committees for animal research are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

The care and use of animals in research

 

Technicians who support research involving human participants or who are involved in ethics review processes or committees for research with human participants are additionally recommended to complete this module:

Research Integrity: Supplementary

Research involving human participants

 

Technical Managers and leadership are additionally recommended to complete the below modules:

Research Integrity for Experienced Researchers

Leadership and research culture:

  • Fostering positive research cultures
  • Responsible research leadership and communication
  • Preventing authorship issues and resolving disputes
Wellcome Funded Projects

Research Integrity training is a funder requirement for all colleagues and students involved in Wellcome Funded Projects.

Best practice is for colleagues and students involved in Wellcome funded projects to complete all of the relevant modules identified in their role pathways, but as a minimum we ask that colleagues and students complete all of the Research Integrity: Core Modules listed for their roles.

Colleagues and students involved in Wellcome funded projects who have previously completed Research Integrity training, either at Newcastle University or another institution, should complete the Research Integrity: Refresher modules every 2-3 years in accordance with the Refresher Training pathway.

Support

For general enquiries please contact res.policy@ncl.ac.uk. If you have completed courses/modules from the Research Integrity e-learning prior to 24/2/26, evidence of completion is available from res.policy@ncl.ac.uk.

For technical support please visit the Epigeum help page or contact the Epigeum Technical Support Team.