“I” in research integrity: Introducing art session into research integrity course

<ns3:p>Background Traditional instruction in rules and system of research conduct cannot capture the unique and complex situations involved in ethics choices and actions, but engagement with art may facilitate deeper understanding and discussion of these issues. In this case study, we explored the value of an art exercise incorporated into research integrity (RI) training based on the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, including research misconduct. Methods At the end of a summer school on responsible research, we held an art session where the participants, all of whom are also authors of this article, painted a picture to illustrate their perspective on research integrity. They also completed a demographic data survey and provided a short description for their painting. We qualitatively analysed the motives of the drawings and quantitatively analysed the sentiment of the essays corresponding to the paintings Results Most authors came from biomedical sciences and were academic researchers, predominantly women (13 out of 19 participants). The titles of paintings ranged from ambiguous (e.g., “Circles” or “Equilibrium”) to more specific (e.g., “The temptation of image manipulation”). Some paintings were abstract, while others fit the representational art framework. Several paintings depicted research graphs and images, while others depicted themes from nature – flowers, beaches, and trees. Motives of conflict and balance were frequent. In the descriptions of the paintings, authors associated their paintings with classical research integrity themes such as morality, transparency, and data manipulation, as well as with personal experiences with research integrity dilemmas. The sentiment of the text was predominantly positive and trusting. Conclusion Using art in teaching research integrity may be a good way to stimulate introspection and discussion about research integrity, as well as to improve understanding of how researchers perceive the concept of research integrity.</ns3:p>