Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
All researchers have the ethical and moral obligation to conduct their University-sanctioned research responsibly and to train their staff and students in the responsible conduct of research. Many issues related to research integrity are covered by government or university policies, but some are too complex to be governed by policy documents. Adherence to responsible research practices must be part of the legacy that each mentor passes on to his or her students as part of the research training process.
This page provides an educational tool on responsible conduct of research for new or visiting researchers and an easily accessible resource for experienced researchers. In addition, to foster increased awareness of ethical issues involving research, we urge all faculty, research staff, and graduate students to consult "On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research" (3rd ed., 2009), a booklet published by the National Academy of Sciences that provides an especially good, comprehensive review of issues related to the responsible conduct of research. We have listed and linked this publication's table of contents at the bottom of this web page.
University policies and compliances governing research and sponsored projects may be found on our Research Policies page. Federal regulations governing sponsored research (such as the A-21 and A-110 circulars) are linked to from our Grant Management page.
Principal Investigator
Conflict of Interest and Commitment
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- PHS/NSF Significant Financial Interests Disclosure
- Nepotism
- Academic Freedom and Responsibilities
Other Relevant Research Policies and Compliances
- Research Misconduct
- Research Involving Hazardous Materials
- Research Involving Human Subjects
- Research Involving Animals
- Research Involving Stem Cells
- Intellectual Property Policy
Data Management
The following sites contain useful, detailed information about sound data management and intellectual property protection.
- Record-Keeping Procedures (Harvard University)
- Data Acquisition and Management (Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning)
- Good Record Keeping: Procedures for Academic Laboratory Settings (University of Florida)
- Common-Sense Rules for Research Record Keeping (George Mason University)
Resource: Issues Relating to Research Integrity
On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research (3rd ed., 2009) is a good resource for teaching ethics in research and should be read by all neophyte and experienced researchers. The Table of Contents illustrates the breadth of the booklet:
- Introduction
- Advising and Mentoring
- The Treatment of Data
- Mistakes and Negligence
- Research Misconduct
- Responding to Suspected Violations of Professional Standards
- Human Participants and Animal Subjects in Research
- Laboratory Safety in Research
- Sharing of Research Results
- Authorship and the Allocation of Credit
- Intellectual Property
- Competing Interests, Commitments and Values
- The Researcher in Society
- Appendix: Discussion of Case Studies
- Additional Resources
Also of interest from the National Academies: Ensuring the Integrity, Accessibiliity, and Stewardship of Research Data in the Digital Age.