As leader of the programme for Restoring Professionalism and Integrity in Research (RePAIR; see Nature 493, 147; 2013), I wish to correct some popular assumptions about its approach.

The RePAIR programme offers remediation for researchers who have been persistently non-compliant or engaged in wrong-doing. It is not an alternative to preventing non-compliance in the first place. Neither is it suitable for all violators: before referring an investigator, an institution must believe that he or she is talented and capable of reform.

The programme was not designed primarily for researchers guilty of falsification, fabrication or plagiarism. All those referred so far have failed to protect human subjects, to care for animals properly, or to declare and manage conflicts of interest.

Most investigators remain in their field after disciplinary action. RePAIR responds to this fact, partly to avoid compromising the future of co-workers (see J. M. DuBois et al. Clin. Transl. Sci. http://doi.org/kp6; 2013).

Complex compliance demands make researchers more prone to falling foul of the rules, particularly when they are under stress from time constraints and funding pressures. More education in ethics is not the answer: instead, proper strategies are needed for managing stress, solving professional problems and dealing with obstacles to compliance. For this reason, the RePAIR programme was designed not by ethicists but by a team of specialized psychologists.