RCUK Policy and Guidelines on the Governance of Good Research Conduct
The RCUK Policy and Guidelines on the Governance of Good Research Conduct aims to help researchers and research organisations to manage their research to the highest standards, and provides guidance on the reporting and investigation of unacceptable research conduct.
This document replaces the RCUK Policy and Code of Conduct on the Governance of Good Research Conduct, published in July 2009, and was developed after a wide consultation with partners across the higher education and research sector. It covers the promotion of good research conduct, including good conduct in peer review, the need for appropriate training and development, what constitutes unacceptable research conduct and the investigation and reporting of unacceptable research conduct.
The document is available
here
.
Concordat to Support Research Integrity
The RCUK Policy and Guidelines on the Governance of Good Research Conduct is set in the context of the Universities UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity, which RCUK signed in July 2012, and should be read in conjunction with the Concordat.
RCUK worked with Universities UK and other stakeholders to agree the new national Concordat with other UK partners and funders, which all employers of researchers are encouraged to sign. The concordat outlines five important commitments that those engaged in research can make to help ensure that the highest standards of rigour and integrity are maintained. It also makes a clear statement about the responsibilities of researchers, employers and funders of research in maintaining high standards in research.
The Concordat is available from the Universities UK website here.
Background
The Concordat was established following a report published by the UK Research Integrity Futures Working Group, chaired by Professor Dame Janet Finch, in September 2011, which made recommendations about arrangements for good research conduct in the UK.
The report concluded that the UK and its employers of research would benefit from a unified approach to issue surrounding research integrity and recommended that a new system for research integrity in the UK to be developed.
The report can be read
here
.
RCUK’s response to the publication is available here.