Research Integrity

As one of the world's leading research universities, the Australian National University is committed to the highest standards of research integrity. ANU seeks to foster and maintain a research environment of intellectual strength, safeguarding academic freedom and acting with honesty, integrity, and scholarly and scientific rigour.

In support of this goal, the University's Responsible Conduct of Research policy details the standards of research integrity expected of all ANU researchers.  

What is research integrity?

Research integrity is means that research has been conducted, communicated and disseminated in a manner that is trustworthy. It instils confidence that research has been produced in an honest, ethical and conscientious manner. In Australia the principles underpinning research integrity are encapsulated in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018) (the Code).

According to the Code, the core principles of ethical conduct of research in Australia are:

Honesty – present information truthfully and accurately.

Rigour – exercise attention to detail and robust methodology while acknowledging biases.

Transparency – communicate research findings openly and accurately.  Manage conflicts of interest.

Fairness – treat fellow researchers with respect, cite the work of others, give authorship credit where appropriate.

Respect – Treat human and animal research participants with respect and care. Minimise adverse effects on the environment.

Recognition of the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be engaged in research that affects or is of particular significance to them (see AIATSIS Code for ethical Indigenous research).

Accountability – comply with the law, policies and guidelines and consider the consequences of your research prior to communication.

Promotion of responsible research culture and environment practices

Expectations of all ANU researchers

The University requires that all ANU researchers uphold the Code's research integrity principles. It is important that all ANU researchers understand and implement research integrity practices in all aspects of their research. In addition to ANU policies supporting research integrity (listed in the side panel of this page), researchers must also read, understand and comply with the Code and the laws, regulations, guidelines, disciplinary standards and codes of practice related to the responsible conduct of research (Laws, regulations & guidelines supporting research integrity). 

What if I have a concern about research integrity?

The University takes concerns about research integrity very seriously. When a researcher does not act with research integrity, they are considered to have breached the principles of the Code. The breach may be minor or significant and/or repeated.

Examples of a breach of the Code

i. Not meeting required research standards

Guidance & Training:

ii. Fabrication, falsification, misrepresentation

  • Fabrication of research data or source material
  • Falsification of research data or source material
  • Misrepresentation of research data or source material
  • Falsification and/or misrepresentation to obtain funding
  • Intentionally omitting data to obtain a desired result

Guidance & Training:

iii. Authorship, plagiarism, intellectual property

  • Failure to acknowledge the contributions of others fairly, which can include submission or publication of anything that fails to correctly or appropriately acknowledge the work of another person or otherwise improperly appropriates the intellectual property or contribution of another person
  • Misleading ascription of authorship including failing to offer authorship to those who qualify or awarding authorship to those who do not meet the requirements
  • Plagiarism of someone else’s work, including theories, concepts, research data and source material
  • Duplicate publication (also known as redundant or multiple publication, or self-plagiarism) without acknowledgment of the source

Guidance & Training:

iv. Research data management

  • Failure to appropriately maintain research records
  • Inappropriate destruction of research records, research data and/or source material
  • Inappropriate disclosure of, or access to, research records, research data and/or source material

Guidance & Training:

v. Supervision

  • Failure to provide adequate guidance or mentorship on responsible research conduct to researchers or research trainees under their supervision

Guidance & Training:

vii. Conflicts of interest

  • Failure to disclose and manage conflicts of interest. Researchers must disclose to an institution all interests that are relevant, or could appear to be relevant, to proposed or ongoing research. Consider whether financial, personal, familial, professional and organisational could impact the integrity and reliability of the conduct and outcomes of the research

Guidance & Training:

viii. Peer review

  • Failure to conduct peer review responsibly. Peer review is the impartial and independent assessment of research by others working in the same or a related field

Guidance & Training:

 

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