In accepting any RSE award, the awardee’s host institution is expected to have in place policies covering research misconduct together with procedures that would be applied if the awardee(s) were to fail to abide by them. Awards may be withdrawn should the awardee be found guilty of misconduct or unacceptable behaviour (both personal and work-related).
The RSE adopts the UK Research Integrity Office Code of Practice:
Good Conduct/Accepted Procedures
Accepted procedures include but are not limited to the following:
- Gaining informed consent where required
- Gaining formal approval from relevant organisations where required
- Any protocols for research contained in any formal approval that has been given for the research
- Any protocols for research as defined in contracts or agreements with funding bodies and sponsors
- Any protocols approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) for a trial of medicinal products
- Any protocols for research set out in the guidelines of the employing institution and other relevant partner organisations
- Any protocols for research set out in the guidelines of appropriate recognised professional, academic, scientific, governmental, national and international bodies
- Any procedures that are aimed at avoiding unreasonable risk or harm to humans, animals or the environment
- Good practice for the proper preservation and management of primary data, artefacts and materials
- Any existing guidance on good practice on research
Note: As well as complying with accepted procedures, researchers must comply with all legislation that applies to their research.
Accepted procedures do not include:
- Un-consented to/unapproved variations of the above
- Any procedures that would encourage, or would lead to, breaches in the law.
Misconduct
Can include, but is not limited to the following:
- Fabrication
- Falsification
- Misrepresentation of data and/or interests and or involvement
- Plagiarism
- Failures to follow accepted procedures or to exercise due care in carrying out responsibilities for avoiding unreasonable risk or harm to: humans, animals used in research, the environment and the proper handling of privileged or private information on individuals collected during the research.
For the avoidance of doubt, misconduct in research includes acts of omission as well as acts of commission.