What is research integrity and why does it matter to veterinary practitioners?

What is research integrity and why does it matter to veterinary practitioners?THE number of scientific articles published each year has increased exponentially over the past decade, with the global output in 2023 estimated to be approximately 3.5 million articles. 1 Part of this growth may come from inclusivity initiatives to make publishing accessible to more researchers 2-4 and efforts to combat systemic biases in scientific publishing, such as positive result bias. 5Where growth in article output comes from such initiatives, it is welcome and should be accommodated.However, as the volume of research output continues to grow, maintaining high standards of integrity becomes increasingly challenging.Research integrity is built upon four pillars 6 : honesty -conveying information truthfully and honouring commitments; accuracy -reporting findings precisely and taking care to avoid errors and bias; efficiency -using resources wisely and avoiding waste; and objectivity -letting the data speak for themselves and avoiding overinterpretation.