Research Integrity Specialist

Research Integrity Specialist (Permanent, Full Time)

Salary: CAD $65,000 - $75,000.

Reports to:

Research Integrity Manager.

As a Research Integrity Specialist at JMIR Publications, you will assist in ensuring the integrity and ethical conduct of research. You will uphold the publisher's research ethics and integrity functions, contributing to the quality, credibility, and trustworthiness of content. You will help promote responsible research practices and safeguard the publisher's good reputation.

• Apply research integrity policies and procedures. Support the implementation of end-to-end workflows to detect and address research and publication ethics issues; collaborate closely with the Research Integrity Manager to elevate serious ethical concerns, including liaising with external institutions as needed.
• Support research misconduct investigations. Lead the initial assessment and investigation of research misconduct allegations (e.g., plagiarism, authorship disputes, conflicts of interest, data falsification) in line with COPE and other relevant guidelines towards resolution; act as a point of contact for staff on routine, initial research integrity questions; support drafting of communications to authors, editors, and reviewers regarding ethics cases; help track ethics cases and maintain detailed and confidential records of investigations and outcomes to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Uphold policies and guidelines. Assist in ensuring JMIR Publications’ ethics policies are aligned with publishing standards and best practices; apply and enforce ethical guidelines for authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher in alignment with industry best practices and international research integrity standards; contribute to discussions on potential improvements in investigations workflows.
• Collaborate with staff and editors. Work closely with staff and editors to resolve cases, including corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern; assist in delivering training materials on research integrity for authors, editors, and other stakeholders.
• Monitor and report on research integrity trends. Assist with analysis and reporting on metrics such as case types, resolution times, and workflow effectiveness to guide improvements; support compliance with industry standards, ethical guidelines, and relevant regulations; report on research integrity matters to the leadership team and external bodies.

Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required, with relevant publishing experience involving research integrity issues. A graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant scientific discipline, ethics, or previous research integrity experience in publishing is a strong asset.

Experience:

• Essential: Proven experience with research ethics in a publishing, academic, or research environment; familiarity with ethical standards such as COPE, ICMJE, and publishing integrity best practices; proven experience in handling sensitive and confidential communications with relevant parties such as authors.
• Desirable: Experience with research integrity tools (e.g., iThenticate, on-demand manuscript screening software) and metadata platforms (e.g., Cross Ref, ORCID); knowledge of open science practices and data sharing policies; scientific academic background involving human subjects research is a plus.

Technical

Skills:

An understanding of industry standards and guidelines for research integrity and publication ethics (e.g., COPE guidelines) and their applications are required; knowledge of research misconduct investigation procedures is beneficial.

Competencies:

• Strong problem‑solving skills; uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for working with diverse stakeholders using diplomacy and tact to resolve issues and provide clear guidance.
• Good interpersonal savvy, with the ability to collaborate effectively with authors, editors, and stakeholders; the ability to handle sensitive situations with discretion.
• Decision quality; strong analytical and investigative skills to handle routine…