National Centre for Biological Sciences · TIFR
Research Integrity Office
The Research Integrity Office supports NCBS faculty, scholars and staff in conducting, recording and publishing research to the highest standards of honesty and accountability.
Its work rests on two commitments: capacity building, through training in research and publication ethics for every member of the community, and documentation, through data deposition and pre-submission records that keep research traceable and reproducible.
The Honour Code
Research on this campus operates on trust.
“No member of the campus community shall knowingly cause harm to any other member of the campus community. Members of the campus community shall work for the benefit of one another in the shared pursuit of scientific excellence. The community operates on a principle of trust. Research on the campus depends critically on colleagues being able to trust each other’s data. Any form of cheating, plagiarism, or falsification of data is unacceptable and will invite appropriate consequences.”
From the TIFR Honour Code, as set out in the campus Code of Conduct and prescribed for faculty and students under the Faculty Handbook and the Students’ Handbook.
What research integrity is
As defined by the institutions that steward research.
TIFR · Guidelines on Academic Ethics
“The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) expects all its members to follow the highest standards of academic ethics.” The Guidelines state further that “fabrication, falsification or improper manipulation of data are highly unethical and must not be resorted to for any reason” and that “generating, recording and publishing false data are fraudulent practices that must be scrupulously avoided.”
UGC · University Grants Commission, India
“Academic integrity is the intellectual honesty in proposing, performing and reporting any activity, which leads to the creation of intellectual property.” The UGC regulations of 2018 also mandate training in research and publication ethics for doctoral scholars, which the office implements at NCBS.
UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism) Regulations, 2018
NIH · U.S. National Institutes of Health
Research integrity includes “the use of honest and verifiable methods in proposing, performing, and evaluating research; reporting research results with particular attention to adherence to rules, regulations, and guidelines; and following commonly accepted professional codes or norms.”
Singapore Statement · World Conferences on Research Integrity
The international reference statement rests on four principles: “honesty in all aspects of research; accountability in the conduct of research; professional courtesy and fairness in working with others; and good stewardship of research on behalf of others.”
The office’s work
Three areas of work.
Capacity building
Training and awareness
Supporting training in research and publication ethics across the NCBS community.
Policy
Aiding policy making
Assisting the institute in framing and updating policies on research integrity, including on the use of AI in research.
Documentation
Data deposition
Data deposition and pre-submission records that keep research traceable and reproducible.
A changing environment
New tools, the same standards.
The principles of research integrity do not change, but the questions asked of them do. Generative AI has entered research writing, and journals and publishers now set explicit rules on its use and disclosure. The office tracks these policies and maintains them as a working resource in the policy registers, so that researchers at NCBS can consult current requirements before submission.
“Sometimes preserving the plurality of views over unknown phenomena keeps the collective intellectual ready for a more comprehensive understanding.”
The campus
