good practice in research

 

The Graduate School promotes the highest standards of integrity in all its research activities. Ethical reflection is a key task taken on by all researchers at the School. The Graduate School is committed to the principle of academic freedom. The Board of Studies is the key forum within which issues of ethical conduct in research are addressed by the School community. The Board of Studies has access to, and the support of, the DIT Research Ethics Committee. The School wishes to foster a culture of research within which the following general principles are understood and observed: honesty; openness; dialogue; public engagement; peer community; responsible dissemination; and critical reflection.

Honesty.

At the core of all research endeavour is the need for researchers to be honest in respect of all aspects of the research process.

Openness

The School encourages researchers to be as open as possible in discussing their work with other researchers and the public.

Dialogue.

The School promotes dialogue between researchers and the broader base of stakeholders in the research undertaking. All researchers working through the School are asked to actively participate in, and demonstrate leadership in the facilitation of, dialogue around all aspects of the research process.

Public Engagement.

The School places special emphasis on the need to demonstrate the value and contribution of research to the larger social world. Public engagement refers to the active engagement by researchers with issues of public interest and with the public communication of research.

Peer Community.

The Graduate School seeks to operate as a peer community of researchers.

Responsible Dissemination.

The Graduate School is committed to the responsible dissemination of research. Publication is actively promoted within a responsible ethos that is driven by: (i) the intrinsic merits of the research published undistorted by any extrinsic metric of quantity divorced from criteria of quality; and (ii) the adoption of publication formats appropriate to the communication of the research.

Critical Reflection.

All research activities of the School should be subject to critical reflection and tested in an environment of robust critical exchange. For an indication of how the broader questions of research ethos and ethics are addressed within the School see the introductory lecture on research ethics.