Institutional Commitment

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Research Ethics at QUT – More than just compliance:

“QUT is committed to the highest standard of integrity in research.  The QUT Code of Conduct for Research aims to embed ethical practice into research activities to enable quality research, ultimately contributing to the achievement of stated ambitions in the QUT Blueprint, and to the national and global reputation of QUT.

The importance of the Code of Conduct for Research cannot be underestimated in providing the institutional (cultural) foundation of integrity and ethical conduct for all researchers. Building this culture ensures ethical considerations are a primary consideration in research design, which in turn supports the goal of quality research, and the credibility and impact of our research outcomes.

Building on the QUT Code of Conduct for Research, QUT has also established a network of Faculty Research Ethics Advisers (FREAs) who are drawn from senior members of the Faculty with significant research record, and appointed by the Dean. Their role includes providing leadership and advice on research integrity and research ethics issues, and they play a vital role in localising the message of research ethics and integrity.

One of the strengths of our Research Ethics Unit is the adoption of an approach which is cooperative and collaborative, rather than an enforcement or adversarial role. This approach is critical in facilitating the ethical conduct of research and teaching activities to not only achieve best practice, but provide leadership in setting best practice.

As you can see, Research Ethics at QUT is about more than regulatory compliance and “form filling” – it is about helping to build a culture of integrity and ethical conduct that is a vital element of the research undertaken at our institute.

I recommend you take the time to visit the research ethics website and make full use of the network of advice available to you."

Professor Arun Sharma, DVC (Research and Commercialisation)