Responsible research practice

General principles of responsible research

What are the core values that undergird the research enterprise?

Data integrity and management

Quality data is essential to quality research. How do you ensure your data is of the highest quality and is ethically obtained, managed and stored?

Managing conflicts of interest

As universities become more closely connected to industry and engage in more commercial arrangements, the potential for conflicts of interest increases. What sorts of things actually constitute a conflict of interest, and how might they be managed?

Authorship

Who deserves to be an author on a publication? Who doesn’t? Are there ways to avoid disputes? Here is some guidance to help.

Plagiarism

Of all integrity issues, plagiarism is probably the most straightforward. It is basically academic theft. Even so, it is possible to mistakenly plagiarise. And what about “self-plagiarism”?

Dissemination of research

How research findings are communicated to the research community and more widely has ethical dimensions. Just as importantly, there are also university policies that bear upon how and when research outcomes can be presented.

Use of funding

Research funding is usually ‘other people’s money’. How it is spent relies on the integrity of individual researchers.

Peer review

The peer review process is an essential safeguard that ensures effective scrutiny of research work before it becomes part of the public collective body of knowledge.

Collaborative research across institutions

Institutions working together has always been part of the research enterprise. What needs to be considered to ensure collaborative work is conducted responsibly?

Relationships

The way in which relationships with colleagues, co-workers and students are handled and maintained is a foundational element of advancing quality research. Relationship quality can also influence every aspect of the responsible conduct of research.

Supervision of trainees

One of the responsibilities of established researchers is to be involved in mentoring new researchers. What resources are available to assist?