Since 2018 the North-West University (NWU), has managed to build up an effective research ethics system that consists of either Faculty Research Ethics Committees (RECs) for the review of research with a minimal risk and/or five National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC) registered RECS for the review of research that involves health or health-related research, animal research, research with vulnerable participants or research that has a greater than minimal risk. A formal research integrity (RI) system was however, still lacking and placed the NWU at a risk as there were no specific guidance on how to foster a climate for Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) or manage breaches/transgressions in RCR.

In 2018 two changes occurred: 1) the appointment of Deputy Deans in the five larger Faculties, and 2) the NWU approving a “Policy on Academic Integrity (2018, revised 2021)”. The mentioned revised policy clearly includes both teaching-learning and research practices. It provides guidelines on how the office of the Registrar or Student Judicial Office, will handle a formal internal and external investigation into potential academic (teaching-learning or research) misconduct of an undergraduate or postgraduate student or a staff member. It further states that that Faculty Boards and academic units (including research entities) must establish processes and procedures for the effective implementation of this policy.

These two mentioned changes, as well as an increase in cases of breaches in the conduct of research, created a greater awareness of the importance of research integrity (RI) and to also focus on positive ways of fostering a climate of RCR at the NWU, as well as a need to find more effective, comprehensive, standard ways to manage breaches/transgression of RCR in the various Faculties. In 2018 the management of RI was delegated specifically to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation, the Executive Deans, and the Deputy Deans: Research and Innovation (DD: R&I) appointed in the five larger Faculties. Towards the latter part of 2019 the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) decided to develop a Research Integrity Management System. This led to the development of a more integrated system in 2020 named the Integrated Research Integrity Management System (IRIMS) that included both 1) the “Framework for Fostering a Climate of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)”, as well as 2) guidelines, processes, and procedures to manage breaches/transgressions in RCR. IRIMS was rolled out in 2021 to the FHS.

During 2020 a decision was taken by the Registrar and the DVC: R&I to hold back on a similar role out in other Faculties and first sort out potential functional problems with IRIMS in the FHS. Towards the end of 2021 it was decided to roll out an adjusted IRIMS in 2022 to the remaining seven (7) Faculties of the NWU. In February 2022 the IRIMS guidelines and SOPs were adjusted and roll out of IRIMS started in earnest in March 2022 and was completed in August 2022 with all the various Faculty Boards accepting and approving IRIMS and senate acknowledging this system in October 2022.

Administrative systems are being set up to support IRIMS and continuous training provided to the deanery, Research Directors, academics, and postgraduate students. Attention is being given to fully integrate the system into the Faculties and staff internalizing the system as their own.

See more detail on the IRIMS under “About us”.