Research integrity in Spain: Great expectations, mediocre results

Reliable scientific knowledge allows us to better understand the natural world, grounds interventions to improve health and wellbeing of humans and other entities, contributes to economic development, and informs policymaking. Ensuring the integrity of scientific research is necessary to advance these various benefits and to safeguard the public's warranted trust in science. Although a variety of complex factors are likely to play a role in advancing or hindering research integrity, some evidence shows that institutional and national policies can be more or less conducive to promoting research integrity and preventing misconduct. I focus here on Spain. I critically assess Spanish legislation and institutional policies and argue that while they proclaim ethical values consistent with fostering research integrity and preventing misconduct, these values fail to be put into practice. I explain some factors that contribute to these failings, and I also offer some suggestions that could contribute to ensuring the respect of ethical values already enshrined in Spanish policies.