From research integrity to research relevance to advance forensic science

Publisher:
Taylor & Francis Open Access
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
Forensic Sciences Research, 2021, 6, (4), pp. 292-294
Issue Date:
2021-01-01
Full metadata record
Research is essential for any field to move forward. It allows us to expand our body of knowledge and enables any discipline to advance its application and meet its overall purpose. This is of course also essential for forensic science, a fundamentally research-based discipline, to develop and validate detection or examination methods and gather data and establish frameworks to understand forensic traces and their value to relevant stakeholders, such as law enforcement and the courts. There is no doubt that scientific research has delivered outstanding findings and breakthroughs to the benefit of society for centuries. These outcomes have primarily relied on exceptional researchers, robust research environments, critical collaborations and serendipity. The “organic nature” of research cannot be under-estimated. However, over the years, and in part due to a need for a response to uncommon but egregious cases of research misconduct, an area that has increasingly became a focal point for funding bodies, research administration and eventually researchers is research integrity. Under this umbrella, there is an expressed need for research to be conducted responsibly, ethically and with integrity. It does not necessarily mean that the overall conduct of research was previously rogue or unethical. It does, however, illustrate the growing interest in formalising solutions to mitigate the risk of poor research practices, sloppy science, and serious misconduct and ensure that research is trustworthy. As a result, many countries and organisations have developed codes and frameworks for the responsible conduct of research, outlining the shared responsibilities of individual researchers and institutions [1,2].
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