Research Integrity in Academic Publishing: The TRUST Framework for Navigating Ethical Uncertainty

Authors

• Jan vom Brocke, University of Muenster & ERCIS - European Research Center for Information SystemsFollow
• Andrew Burton-Jones, The University of Queensland
• Jenny Elo, Tampere University
• Brian Fitzgerald, University of Limerick
• Sarah Hönigsberg, Université de Lorraine, CEREFIGE
• Dorothy E. Leidner, University of Virginia
• Michael D. Myers, University of Auckland
• Sudha Ram, University of Arizona
• Susan Scott, Imperial College London
• Ida Asadi Someh, The University of Queensland
• Dov Te’eni, Tel Aviv University

Author ORCID Identifier

Jan vom Brocke: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0071-3719

Andrew Burton-Jones: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7865-4296

Jenny Elo: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1149-6529

Brian Fitzgerald: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9193-2863

Sarah Hönigsberg: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4508-4650

Dorothy E. Leidner: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7159-6273

Michael D. Myers: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1149-6529

Sudha Ram: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6053-1311

Susan Scott: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8775-9364

Ida Asadi Someh: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6464-795X

Dov Te’eni: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5629-8614

Abstract

Academic publishing norms are being actively renegotiated. Generative AI, growing expectations for transparency in authorship and contribution, and heightened attention to conflicts of interest in peer review have made ethical ambiguities more visible, while existing rules and guidelines often address them only partially. Doctoral students and early-career scholars are especially exposed to these grey areas, yet access to trusted, practice-based guidance remains uneven. To address this gap, a mentorship panel organised through the AIS Doctoral Student College brought together senior Information Systems scholars and doctoral students to discuss concrete ethical scenarios in academic publishing. Across two global online sessions, 192 participants from 30 countries engaged in discussions in which eight senior scholars responded to participant-submitted scenarios on plagiarism, generative AI in research, and conflicts of interest in peer review. The sessions generated 28 practical takeaways and a consistent cross-cutting message: ethical publishing requires not only technical compliance with rules, but also transparency, scholarly honesty, and a sustained commitment to research integrity. Building on these insights, this report introduces the TRUST framework—Transparency, Responsibility, Understanding, Support, and Timeliness—as practical guidance for navigating ethical grey areas in academic publishing.

DOI

10.17705/1CAIS.05804

Recommended Citation

vom Brocke, J., Burton-Jones, A., Elo, J., Fitzgerald, B., Hönigsberg, S., Leidner, D. E., Myers, M. D., Ram, S., Scott, S., Someh, I., & Te’eni, D. (2026). Research Integrity in Academic Publishing: The TRUST Framework for Navigating Ethical Uncertainty. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 58, 49-80. https://doi.org/10.17705/1CAIS.05804