Faculty Research Integrity and Ethics induction for new staff and postgraduate research students

The OU Research Code of Practice sets out the principles and standards that govern research, and therefore research integrity, at The Open University. It sets out the responsibilities of individual members of the research community and the University, the principles of research integrity, standards of good research practice and points the research community towards how it can apply these in the Open University context.

A must read for all relevant staff groups and PGRs.

Email the Research Governance and Integrity team

An ethics review by the Human Research Ethics Committee is required for research projects which involve the collection of data or biological samples from human participants. If you are planning to make changes to your research project, having already obtained a favourable opinion, these changes will need to be approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee.

A final report will be required for all projects which have received a favourable opinion, this should be submitted at the conclusion of the project.

Email the HREC team

All research projects involving (non human) animals should be referred to the Animal Ethics Committee for review before commencing.

Email the Animal Ethics team

Researchers should be aware of the potential wider ethical, legal and/or reputational risks associated with their research project or research-related activity (see OU Ethical Research Statement). They are responsible for undertaking a risk assessment before they commence their research project or research-related activity, to identify risks and potential mitigations.

Where the researcher identifies high ethical, legal or reputational risk, they should seek Faculty review and approval before proceeding. Where the Faculty requires further advice, they may refer the research project or the research-related activity to the Ethical Research Review Committee for review. The ultimate decision about whether or not to proceed with such a project or activity rests with the Faculty.

Email the Research Governance and Integrity team

OU research policies provide a framework to help researchers conduct their research in alignment with legal and regulatory requirements. Researchers are responsible for ensuring they adhere to OU research policies when planning, conducting, writing up, publishing and disseminating their research, and evaluating its impact. The OU Research Code of Practice underpins and signposts to all other OU research policies, where researchers can find more detailed information about policy and procedure requirements for particular aspects of the research cycle.

Training events organised by the Researcher Development Programme (internal link only) team.

Email the Researcher Development Programme team

Graduate School Network (online resources)

Online sessions as part of the Graduate School core training programme.

Email the Researcher Development Programme team

Library Research Support Programme - Training resources and events organised by the OU Library.

Email the Library research support team

Research and Enterprise Events Programme (internal link only)

Training events organised by the OU Research & Enterprise team, Research, Enterprise and Scholarship Unit

Email the Research Workshops team

Aligning with the Transparency and Open Communication principle of research integrity, the OU has a suite of guidance and online learning to assist researchers with open research.

The most important proponents of research integrity and good research practice are researchers themselves, group leaders, supervisors of postgraduate research students, Principal Investigators, and Faculty research leaders.

Faculties and the research groups within them can nurture a research culture based on research integrity principles by:

• having regular and open conversations about what good research practice and what poor practice looks like
• Encouraging researchers to seek help from peers and research leaders if they are unsure about any aspect of their research
• Encouraging researchers to talk about their mistakes and any made by others with a view to resolving them

Each faculty publishes the name of an officer who can be contacted for advice about good research practice, and one who can be contacted if there are concerns about research conduct.

All concerns raised in good faith will be treated in confidence and without prejudice to the individual who raised it.

UK Research Integrity Office (publications/guidance/events)