Position statement – An Australian system for managing research misconduct

Supporting the establishment of a robust and fair national process for assuring the integrity of Australian research funded or subsidised by any public source.
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The Council of the Australian Academy of Science supports the establishment of a robust and fair national process for assuring the integrity of Australian research funded or subsidised by any public source, wherever conducted.

The Academy proposes enhancements to the current system: 

  1. A two-tiered system where there is (a) national oversight of major breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (the Code) and (b) institutional oversight of minor breaches with all publicly funded research being covered by the Code and an oversight system wherever it is conducted. The oversight body should have the capacity to conduct or commission research on matters related to the oversight of misconduct.
  2. A national oversight body is empowered to collect data and publish reports that can act to showcase good research ethics and practices and respects the diversity of organisations – universities, medical research institutes, government departments and agencies, business – and multi-jurisdictional legislative frameworks, obligations and cultures.
  3. A national oversight body also be responsible for overseeing institutional management of serious breaches of good research practices in the form of fabrication, falsification or plagiarism that are committed intentionally or with gross negligence in the planning, performing, or reporting of research outcomes. Potentially serious matters will be reported to the national oversight body, either by the complainant or the relevant organisation, and the evidence supporting the allegation will be evaluated. If this triage shows there is cause to investigate, the case cannot be dismissed and the institution would be obliged to investigate it.
  4. The national oversight body will be tasked with overseeing the conduct of investigation of serious breaches by institutions to provide public confidence that such matters are being conducted properly. Organisations conducting the research will still be responsible for conducting and resourcing investigations.