Society has a vested interest in the research carried out at institutions - not only in the outcomes of that research, but also in the methods used and manner in which the work is conducted and supported. Much goes into the research enterprise at institutions and much is expected in return.
Federal taxpayers support a significant amount of research and education in the United States. The public is well served by this investment. Not only have critical discoveries emerged from this work, but so have generations of leadership in all fields of human endeavor.
Academic research is conducted in a social context, and human values enter into the process at many levels. To maintain confidence and trust in this enterprise, researchers must aggressively protect the empirical objectivity of research, the unbiased reporting of results, and the open sharing of that information for the good of society.
Issues that can impinge on public trust and confidence in research are brought together under the heading of "research integrity," and include such topics as:
- environmental health & safety
- use and protection of human subjects and lab animals
- safe and responsible use of biological materials
- conflicts of interest
- publication, intellectual property and data
- error, negligence or misconduct
- response to violations of ethical standards.
The next sections of this tutorial examine general policies and requirements in these areas. These sections are brief; they serve only to introduce the researcher to issues, and to direct the researcher to resources for more information and assistance.
Some of these sections make use of a publication of the National Academy of Sciences, "On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct In Research." The National Academy of Sciences waives permission for the use of this material for educational purposes. Additional information has been adapted from “ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research” and “Making the right moves, A practical guide to scientific management for postdocs and new faculty” from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. We also acknowledge Stanford University for permission to modify material from their tutorial.