Two virtual sessions that took place on June 1st addressed the topic of research integrity in LMIC from different perspectives. One of the sessions presented the proposal of the Cape Town Statement. The statement will be an outcome of the 7th WCRI and aim to foster Research Integrity through equity, fairness, and diversity. The objective is to develop principles and action guides intended to support fairness and equity in research, especially within collaborations between the global North and South. The statement will propose actions to the entire scientific system including funders, editors, any supporting organizations and also researchers.

The second session discussed the implementation of the Hong Kong Principles in LMIC. The Hong Kong Principles were developed at the 6th WCRI to address perverse incentives and ensure that researchers are explicitly recognized and rewarded for behaviors that strengthen research integrity, such as good practice in research and open science. However, the implementation of the principles faces different challenges in contexts of LMIC. The key example is the actual implementation of Open Access publishing. Many LMIC researchers believe that Open Access policies will increase the gap in scientific publication between developing and developed countries. The researchers believe that due to the lack of effective waiver systems, the pay-to-publish models will increase the burden on researchers in LMIC and are therefore forced to publish in less prestigious, cheap journals.

In any case, changes and initiatives must be universal and as fair as possible. Without a shift in research culture, significant initiatives will see no lasting improvements.

Feature image author – @freepik