External Developments
Recent Developments
For recent updates, see the UKRIO blog
Developments from the Past Decade
Promotion of good research practices by funders, journals and others
New developments
- European Research Council (ERC) adopts a Scientific Misconduct Strategy to uphold research integrity
- New research claims that 'Misconduct Accounts for the Majority of Retracted Scientific Publications'
- Responsible Research and Innovation (European Commission - Science in Society)
- International Standards for Authors (Committee on Publication Ethics)
- Guidance on Co-operation between Universities and Journal on Research Integrity Cases (Committee on Publication Ethics)
- "The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct" (assume the role of a PGR student, postdoc. or PI; online training provided by the US Office of Research Integrity)
- Avoiding Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism, and Other Questionable Writing Practices
- Guidance on Freedom of Information Requests for Access to Research Data
- Latest News Stories (from THES, Nature, BMJ ...)
- Costs of Research Misconduct
The UK's Research Councils (RCUK) published a 'Policy & Code of Conduct on the Governance of Good Research Conduct'. This outlines RCUK's expectations about the responsibilities of individual researchers & universities to foster best practice in research. Researchers wishing to receive RCUK funding are required to adhere to the Policy & Code. RCUK expects the Policy & Code to apply to all the University's research, regardless of whether or not the research is funded by RCUK. Message from Professor Richard Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation
The general public, funders, publishers, professional associations, regulatory bodies, universities, researchers & others with an interest in research expect research to be carried out to high standards of good practice. Rigour is one of the criteria against which outputs are assessed under the REF (rigorous research is disciplined by honesty & integrity).
House of Commons' Science & Technology Committee
- House of Commons Report on Peer Review in Scientific Publications
- 'ClimateGate' (CG): Report on the reviews (January 11)
- CG: The Email Review (July10)
- CG: International Panel Report (April10)
- CG: Hse of Commons Report Part 1 and Part 2 (March 10)
Guidance on publication and authorship and public communication of science
- Guidance on Retractions in Journal Articles
- Guidelines on Good Publication Practice
- Quick Guide on Responsible Authorship
- How to Handle Authorship Disputes
- Perspective of COPE (Presentation, Nov.10)
- How & Why UK Researchers Publish
- Problem of Defining Authorship
- Guidance on Duplicate/Redundant Publication
- Royal Society's: Science and the Public Interest: Communicating the Results of New Scientific Research to the Public (2006)
Research funders' perspectives on good research practices
Potential ethical implications of new areas of research
- Autonomous Systems (2009)
- Dual-Use Dilemma (2009)
- Synthetic Biology (2008)
- Ethics, Morality & Animal Biotechnology (BBSRC)
- Nanotechnology: Science to the Social (ESRC)
- Healthcare in Developing Countries (Nuffield)
- Research with People in Developing Countries (Wellcome Trust)
International codes and standards on good research practices:
- European Science Foundation: Code on Research Integrity (2010)
- UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) Code of Practice for Research (2009)
- UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (2008) - advancing knowledge, ensuring new knowledge has public benefit or impact, and conducting research with integrity are the 3 key responsibilities of individual researchers (integrity is expected because research is built upon a foundation of trust)
- USA (2007): Intro. to the Responsible Conduct of Research
- Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
- ESF: Good Research Practice in Europe
- UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (2007)
- Sweden (2006): Good Research Practice
- Norway (2006): Guidelines for Social Sciences, Law & Humanities
- Poland (2001): Good Manners in Science
- Germany (1998): Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice
- Declaration of Helsinki
- Convention for Protection of Human Rights
- EU RESPECT Code
Reports on key conferences on good research practices (two world conferences & one UK conference to date):
- Second World Conference on Research Integrity (held in Singapore: 2010). From this a global statement was agreed - the 'Singapore Statement on Research Integrity'.
- Promoting Good Research Conduct (UK conference: 2008)
- First World Conference on Research Integrity (held in Lisbon, Portugal: 2007)
Links to national bodies that advise and/or regulate the higher education sector:
University Policies and Statements
The University's policies and statements relating to good research practices can be viewed below.
- Good Research & Innovation Practices Policy
- Research Ethics Policy - for research involving human participants
- Ethics and Integrity - short leaflets produced by the University of Sheffield
- Open Archiving Policy
- Position on Avoiding Breach of Copyright
- Procedure for Investigating Allegations of Research Misconduct