Research Integrity and Good Scientific Practice
Course Dates: May 7, 2026 2-4pm & May 8, 2026 9.30-11.30am
Dear Master’s student or PhD candidate,
Congratulations on your decision to join the world of academic research! You will soon begin making your own contributions to the collective knowledge of humanity. However, you need to understand that being a scientist comes with significant responsibility: It is your duty to always give your best and conduct your research ethically, transparently, and reliably. In other words, just as every game has its rules, so does the “game” of science. These rules provide a common ground of structure, fairness, and shared understanding for all scientists and are referred to as “Good Scientific Practice”.
In this workshop, you will familiarise yourself with the rulebook of science and learn to understand the enormous importance of fair play in research. We will address the following questions:
- What is Good Scientific Practice?
- Who makes the rules?
- Who is in charge of ensuring research integrity at the University of Graz?
- Why is it crucial that you always cite your references and avoid plagiarism?
- What are research misconduct, “sloppy science”, and questionable/unacceptable research practices?
- What can you do if you become a witness or fall victim to research misconduct, “sloppy science”, and questionable/unacceptable research practices?
- How should you correctly manage your research data?
- What is Open Science?
Once acquainted with the theory of Good Scientific Practice, you will put your newly-acquired knowledge into practice, discussing cases of research misconduct and breaches of the rules of good scientific practice.
Upon completion of this workshop, you will be familiar with the scientific code of conduct and aware of the dangers and consequences of unethical, non-transparent, and unreliable research. Confident that you play by the rules, you will be free to stop worrying, dive into your research, and fully embrace the thrill of exploring the unknown!
About the trainer:
Dr. Alexandra Roth (University of Graz) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biology. She holds bachelor’s degrees in education (primary teaching) and ecology, a master’s degree in botany, and a doctoral degree in molecular plant physiology. She is a passionate teacher and supervisor of master’s and bachelor’s theses and has a strong interest in supporting her students to become competent and confident researchers and academic writers. She participated in various courses on teaching and learning in higher education, recently finished her training as a certified writing advisor, and took part in the Train-the-Trainer program on Good Scientific Practice and Research Integrity at the OeAWI (Österreichsche Agentur für wissenschaftliche Integrität/Austrian Agency for Research Integrity).