Research Integrity & Documentation
Practical guidance for student and early-career contributors on maintaining traceable, well-documented research outputs suitable for committee review and IAQC oversight within IAF’s membership-based programs.
What IAF means by research integrity
Research integrity within IAF’s Students & Innovators membership context focuses on accurate reporting, transparent methods, and clear provenance of data, models, and conclusions. The goal is to ensure that innovation outputs can be understood, reproduced where feasible, and evaluated consistently by relevant committees.
IAF does not act as a regulator and does not grant legal authority. Any recognition or approval of project outputs occurs only after membership participation and is subject to committee review with IAQC (International Automotive Quality Council) oversight.
Documentation expectations for innovation & research projects
Maintain documentation that supports traceability from objectives to evidence. The following elements help reviewers assess completeness, consistency, and responsible handling of information.
Traceable research plan & scope
Document the problem statement, assumptions, constraints, and success criteria. Keep a change log for scope updates so reviewers can understand what changed, when, and why.
Methods, data sources, and version control
Record data origin, collection conditions, preprocessing steps, and toolchain versions. Use consistent file naming and versioning for datasets, code, and reports to support repeatable review.
Evidence-backed results and limitations
Present results with supporting evidence (tests, simulations, calculations, or references) and clearly state limitations, uncertainties, and boundary conditions to prevent over-interpretation.
Authorship, citations, and contribution records
Track contributors and roles, cite third-party materials, and distinguish original work from referenced content. Where applicable, document permissions and usage terms for external datasets or tools.
Preparing a submission-ready documentation package
A submission-ready package typically includes an executive summary, a complete methods section, key artifacts (datasets, code, models, drawings), and a results narrative that links evidence to conclusions. Include a simple index that points reviewers to the latest versions of each artifact and any required supporting records.
If your work involves sensitive information, document how confidentiality, access control, and data handling were managed. Where sharing is constrained, provide a reviewer-oriented description of what exists, how it was validated, and what can be disclosed under membership program rules.
How integrity and documentation connect to IAF governance
Strong documentation supports consistent committee evaluation and enables IAQC oversight by providing traceability, clear decision inputs, and auditable records of methods and evidence. Recognition or approval of innovation outputs, where applicable, is considered only after membership engagement and completion of the relevant review steps under committee processes.
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