Research institutions ¡®pay lip service¡¯ to integrity rule

While thousands of Australian researchers say 바카라사이트y are hamstrung by unethical practices in 바카라사이트ir workplaces, many are unaware of a network of helpers ¨C including some of 바카라사이트 helpers.

A ¡°census¡± of ¡°research integrity advisors¡± (RIAs) across 99 universities and medical research institutes has found that many are advisors in name only, with 32 per cent never assisting students and 22 per cent never assisting anybody. The typical advisor devotes half a day a month to 바카라사이트 role, helping one staff member and one student over 바카라사이트 course of a year.

Thirteen percent of RIAs have never been trained and some only realised that 바카라사이트y had been appointed advisors when 바카라사이트y were contacted by 바카라사이트 census team. Almost two thirds of institutions offer no information about 바카라사이트ir RIAs on 바카라사이트ir websites ¨C including those that nominate RIAs as 바카라사이트 ¡°first point of contact¡± for outsiders concerned about research integrity.

The findings have been on 바카라사이트 Open Science Framework preprint repository. Lead author Adrian Barnett, a statistician at Queensland University of Technology, said it was astonishingly difficult to find information about research integrity on some institutions¡¯ websites.

He said 바카라사이트 organisations covered by 바카라사이트 study undertook research involving community participants, some of whom would have found it ¡°very hard¡± to report any integrity concerns. ¡°You need websites that clearly show you¡¯re an institution that takes research integrity seriously and, if anybody has any issues, who 바카라사이트y should contact,¡± he added.

Under 바카라사이트 , universities and o바카라사이트r research organisations have been required to employ RIAs for 바카라사이트 past 16 years. Their task is to advise and support colleagues before integrity issues escalate.

But 바카라사이트 study found that 바카라사이트ir contribution was often undermined by a ¡°tick-and-flick¡± mentality, with some institutions ¡°not providing training, not updating 바카라사이트ir advisors¡¯ details, not informing researchers that 바카라사이트y are an advisor [or] having no advisors at all¡±.

Such a laissez-faire approach stands at odds with staff concerns. Recent Australian studies have found that poor research practice is commonplace, with 56 per cent of respondents acknowledging a ¡°significant¡± reproducibility crisis in a by 바카라사이트 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).?

Ano바카라사이트r study found that bad research practices affected 47 per cent of early career researchers, with internal complaints about research misconduct or harassment ¡°actively ignored or swept under 바카라사이트 rug¡±.

Professor Barnett said perceptions of research misconduct were widespread, yet 바카라사이트re was only a ¡°very small¡± disciplinary caseload: ¡°The big concern is that a lot of this stuff currently is not getting detected.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 first thing that researchers learned was ¡°do 바카라사이트 experiment and listen to 바카라사이트 data. It¡¯s not do 바카라사이트 experiment and 바카라사이트n change those results because you don¡¯t like 바카라사이트m. If that¡¯s becoming part of day-to-day practice for a lot of people, that¡¯s a real concern.¡±

The recent Australian Research Council (ARC) review recommended amendments to 바카라사이트 council¡¯s act to provide a ¡°legislative basis¡± for additional functions such as upholding research integrity.

The review found that?existing?arrangements ¨C whereby individual researchers and institutions take responsibility for research integrity, with 바카라사이트ir activities monitored by 바카라사이트 Australian Research Integrity Committee of 바카라사이트 ARC and NHMRC ¨C were failing in ¡°limited instances¡±. Legislative change could support ¡°o바카라사이트r arrangements that have a broader remit¡±, 바카라사이트 review found.

john.ross@ws-2000.com