Research Environments That Promote Integrity

BACKGROUND: The body of empirical knowledge about research integrity and the factors that promote research integrity in nursing research environments remains small. OBJECTIVE: To propose an internal control model as an innovative framework for the design and structure of nursing research environments that promote integrity. METHODS: An internal control model is adapted to illustrate its use for conceptualizing and designing research environments that promote integrity. RESULTS: The internal control model integrates both the organizational elements necessary to promote research integrity and the processes needed to assess research environments. The model provides five interrelated process components within which any number of research integrity variables and processes may be used and studied: internal control environment, risk assessment, internal control activities, monitoring, and information and communication. DISCUSSION: The components of the proposed research integrity internal control model proposed comprise an integrated conceptualization of the processes that provide reasonable assurance that research integrity will be promoted within the nursing research environment. Schools of nursing can use the model to design, implement, and evaluate systems that promote research integrity. The model process components need further exploration to substantiate the use of the model in nursing research environments.