21 May 2024
Springer Nature's latest research integrity survey, focusing on Japan, highlights a critical need for enhanced data management training among Japanese researchers. This finding is consistent with trends observed in previous national integrity surveys conducted by the publisher.
The survey, conducted between December 2023 and February 2024 in partnership with the Japanese Association for the Advancement of Science (JAAS), revealed that 73% of Japanese researchers have access to research integrity training—the highest proportion recorded in any country surveyed to date. However, a significant number of respondents indicated a need for greater support in data management areas, including data policies (35%), copyright and licensing (33%), data storage (30%), and data use, reuse, and curation (29%).
Researchers' understanding of research integrity was also assessed, with 62% of participants stating that the definition provided by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) aligned very well with their own understanding. The survey also identified "avoidance of misconduct" (30%) and "appropriate use of funds" (16%) as the most crucial behaviors associated with research integrity.
Key findings from the survey include:
• Mandatory Training: Of those with access to training, 95% reported it was mandatory. The majority of Japanese researchers agree that training should be compulsory at some stage in their careers.
• Training Effectiveness: Nearly 80% of surveyed researchers felt their institution's training was effective.
• Training Delivery: 67% of respondents reported that the training they received was exclusively online without a live instructor.
The need for more data training is echoed in the 2023 State of Open Data survey by Springer Nature and Digital Science, which found that only 10% of Japanese respondents were familiar with FAIR data principles, and just 24% were aware of data management plans—both figures being the lowest among surveyed countries.
This survey in Japan is part of a broader outreach program by Springer Nature to explore researchers' understanding and training in research integrity. Previous surveys were conducted in Australia (2022), the UK, and the USA (2023). The Japan survey involved 1190 participants from over 445 organizations across the country.