Ethics

This module will help you with the Data collection-creation section of your data management plan. Data management planning templates are available for download here or directly from our library data management page here.

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Responsibilities for Institutions

Section 3: Responsibilities for Researchers

Section 4: Breaches

Introduction

The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (the Code) articulates the broad principles and responsibilities that underpin the responsible conduct of Australian research. The code contains principles, and responsibilities for both institutions and researchers.   As a Griffith researcher you also need to know of the Griffith university policies on responsible research.

• The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (the 2018 Code) articulates the broad principles that characterise an honest, ethical, and conscientious research culture.
• The 2018 Code outlines the expectations for the conduct of research in Australia or research conducted under the auspices of Australian institutions.
• The 2018 Code specifies various responsibilities for researchers and institutions, some of which refer to responsible data management

The Code and the guide apply to all research conducted under the auspices of Australian institutions. Whilst Griffith University will also have specific institutional policies and processes capable of fulfilling the aim of this guide, there are appropriate options for flexibility in the application of this content.

Section 2: Responsibilities for institutions

Responsible management of research data is listed as Institutional Responsibility #8 in the 2018 Code. As such, Griffith University must: ​ “Provide access to facilities for the safe and secure storage and management of research data, records and primary materials and, where possible and appropriate, allow access and reference.”

Developing and implementing policies Provision of training for researchers Provision of facilities for the safe and secure storage and management of data and primary materials Provision of guidance for managing research data and primary materials around:

1. Ownership, stewardship and control
2. Storage, retention, and disposal
3. Safety, security, and confidentiality
4. Access by interested parties

Section 3: Responsibilities for Researchers

Researcher Responsibility (R22) of the 2018 Code directs that researchers must:​

“Retain clear, accurate, secure and complete records of all research including research data and primary materials. Where possible and appropriate, allow access and reference to these by interested parties (R22, The 2018 Code).”

Generally, your responsibilities as a researcher are to:

• Adhere to Griffith University policies related to the management of data and information, relevant laws, regulations and guidelines, and research discipline-specific practices and standards.
• Be clear about what your responsibilities are up front.

Responsible data management applies to most stages of a research project, from the start of data collection to after the project is complete:

• data collection
• data storage
• transferring of data to research collaborators
• sharing of data with other researchers
• retention of data for future use
• storage of data in open-access repositories
• deletion and destruction of data

To complete the data management sections of your ethics appliction you need to know Q1: How will data be collected securely? Q2: How will it be stored securely and for how long? Q3: How will data be shared securely? Q4: How will data be destroyed securely?

GU eResearch Services can help answer these Qs

Section 4: Breaches

We can’t talk about responsible conduct of research, without mentioning where we sometimes slip up.

With regard to managing our research data and primary material, below is a list of common breaches that we may see in the Research Integrity Office. Whilst it may seem like a hassle to plan, revise your plan, version control, retain your data securely, and keep your promises, it will be an even bigger hassle if you are the subject of a breach investigation. Breaches are not pleasant, and can result in your not being able to use data that you have collected or analysed, through to losing your funding, your candidature, or even your position if a serious breach is upheld.

Breaches of the Code that are related to management of data and information in research include, but are not limited to:

• falsification of research data or primary materials
• fabrication of research data or primary materials
• failure to notify the institution and relevant authorities in a timely manner of a data breach or instance of inappropriate access to data held by the researcher
• failure to retain clear, accurate, secure and complete records of all research including research data and primary materials
• failure to adhere to the conditions of any institutional policy or project-specific approvals that relate to the retention, sharing or destruction of research data or primary materials
• selective retention of research data or primary materials so as to hinder the verifiability of a research output or access request
• failure to apply appropriate security controls to research data or primary materials
• failure to obtain necessary approvals or acting inconsistently with a condition of any approval granted in relation to the management of research data or primary materials.

BREACHES OF THE AUSTRALIAN CODE 2018
Any alleged breach of the Australian Code 2018/research integrity complaint will be considered as per
the procedure described in the Research Integrity Breach Investigation. This is Griffith University’s
implementation of the Guide to Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Australian Code
for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018, modified for conformity to the University’s Enterprise
Bargaining Agreements

The Griffith University Responsible Conduct of Research policy is available here