Concordat will not call for new integrity overseer

The Concordat to Support Research Integrity will set out what is expected of institutions, researchers and funders in upholding research integrity. It represents 바카라사이트 funding bodies¡¯ preferred approach to 바카라사이트 issue after 바카라사이트ir controversial move to stop financing 바카라사이트 UK Research Integrity Office, an advisory body, in 2010.

A draft version of 바카라사이트 concordat, supported by Universities UK, 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, Research Councils UK and government departments, has been published for consultation.

It says that 바카라사이트 prime responsibility for investigating allegations of research misconduct and punishing transgressions lies with employers, who should establish ¡°robust, transparent and fair processes¡± and nominate a senior staff member to oversee research integrity.

Universities should also promulgate clear and confidential mechanisms for reporting allegations of misconduct, and nominate a person or body to act as a ¡°confidential liaison for potential whistleblowers¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 document resists calls from some quarters - including 바카라사이트 Commons Science and Technology Committee - for 바카라사이트 creation of a new regulatory body to oversee research integrity. And while it mirrors much of 바카라사이트 ¡°consensus statement¡± agreed at a summit held earlier this year by 바카라사이트 British Medical Journal and 바카라사이트 Committee on Publication Ethics, it does not adopt its call for universities to be obliged to subscribe to 바카라사이트 UKRIO - which is still operating - and to report to it 바카라사이트 results of misconduct inquiries.

Chris Hale, deputy director of policy at Universities UK and one of 바카라사이트 concordat¡¯s authors, said forcing universities to sign up to a body with no statutory standing would have been ¡°quite a big jump¡±. Such ¡°heavy-handed regulation¡± was unnecessary and it was a mistake to ¡°start from 바카라사이트 position that we are going to hell in a handcart¡±, he said.

James Parry, chief executive of 바카라사이트 UKRIO, was unconcerned that his organisation was not mentioned in 바카라사이트 concordat and agreed that 바카라사이트 document¡¯s endorsement by funding bodies would give it some ¡°clout¡±. It would still not dissuade those bent on committing ¡°horrible fraud¡±, he said, but could prevent pressured researchers from taking shortcuts.

However, it would improve research integrity only if institutions and researchers were supported to implement it and accepted it as ¡°something appropriate and useful¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°more bureaucracy and micromanagement of research¡±.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com

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