Research Integrity and Ethics

The University has a responsibility to ensure the confidence of funders. In accordance with both Concordats, they must conform to all ethical, legal, and professional obligations relevant to their work; and use transparent, robust, and fair processes to make decisions concerning data openness. All research staff should be aware of the “Responsible Research & Innovation” framework, committed to engaging the public in a dialogue around concerns and issues related to their research. Wherever possible, researchers should aim to be proactive in anticipating perceived challenges (from the public) about their research and mitigating these wherever possible.

Queen Mary is committed to producing and promoting high quality research that is conducted with the highest standards of integrity, and all staff should ensure that they act in accordance with our research integrity policies. The University grants that our research staff are able to exercise freedom in their academic choices and must also accept responsibility for the decisions that they make. Thus, the primary responsibility for ensuring that research staff act with honesty, rigour, transparency and open communication, care and respect to their research subjects, and with accountability in all aspects of their research work, including peer review, lies with the individual researcher. Researchers will be supported in this by their line-managers and School or Institute.

Researchers must ensure they apply for, and comply with, the requirements for ethical approval of all research involving human participants or their data; typically from the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) for clinical research, and Queen Mary Ethics of Research Committee (QMERC), otherwise. Good practice involves ensuring that stakeholder engagement and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is embedded throughout their research design, delivery, and dissemination cycle. Consult the Centre for Public Engagement or the Joint Research Management Office for advice and guidance on stakeholder engagement and PPIE.

Some researchers will also need to be aware of Queen Mary’s obligations to uphold the principles of Trusted Research: a series of principles which underpin international research collaboration, ensuring our research practice is safe and compliant with UK legislation (e.g. the National Security and Investments Act). The university will be introducing new policies that will provide guidance in this area, together with an  online training module which will be mandatory for researchers working in an area subject to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS). Researchers requiring advice, should email vp-trustedresearch@qmul.ac.uk for individual support.

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