The Paper, the Publishers, the Protagonist, and The Academic Setting
DrJaneJacobs,DirectorOfficeResearchEthicsandIntegrityQueenslandUniversityofTechnology,Brisbane
Thechangingfaceandfutureofpublicationethics- COPE2017
The PublishersThe Paper The Protagonist The Academic Setting
“Academicresearch,includingthetaskofpublishingitsfindings,takesplaceinahighlycomplexsocio-technicalsystem(CSS),whichinvolvesseveraldynamicallyinteractingagents(e.g.authors,publishers,reviewers,regulators,fundingagencies,subjectsoftheresearch,andUniversities,amongothers).”
Tarcisio Abreu Saurin,2016
QueenslandUniversityofTechnology|Theprismoftoday’spresentation
Top300universitiesglobally2016AcademicRankingofWorldUniversities(ShanghaiJiaoTong)
7th inAustraliaforQSGraduateEmployability
Top50ofuniversitiesunder50yearsoldTimesHigherEducation150Under50
8 Rhodesscholarssince1998;5since2010
AveragePhDcompletiontimelessthan4years
InternationalHDRenrolmentsrisen5%between2011and2016
• Biomedicalengineeringandhealthtechnologies• Biomolecularscience• Chronicdiseaseintervention• Creatingandcapturingvaluefromnewtechnology• Datascience,computationalmodellingandsimulationscience• Digitalmedia• Educationforbetteroutcomes• Healthsystems• Injurypreventionandmanagement• Materialsscienceandengineering• Plantbiotechnology• Roboticsandcomputervision• Technology,regulationandsociety
QUT:auniversitywithaspirations
• Thesystemisgenerallyselfregulating
• Selfreportingessentialunderfundingagreementconditionswhenmisconductinresearchpractices(includingpublicationissues)areconfirmed
• ThetwomajornationalfundingagenciesissueguidanceandpolicyforRRP
• Institutionsanduniversitiesareresponsibleforinitiatingandconductinginvestigations
• Thefundingagenciestakenoroleintrainingandeducation.Thisislefttoorganisations
• Researchmisconductisnotreportedinthepublicdomain,butde-identifiedreportingisencouraged
ResponsibleresearchpracticeinAustralia
Institutionsarerelianton:
• Selfreportingofpublicationerror/s
• Reportingbyothers,i.e.researchers,co-authors,otherinstitutionsandorcommunitymembers
• ReportingonBlogsitessuchasRetractionWatchorPubPeer
• Fundingagencieswhoreceiveacomplaintorinformationabouta‘questionablepaper’.
Thesourceineffectdictatesinstitutionalprocess
The Paper
• Theliteraturegivesussomeusefulpointers- hintsaboutthecharacteristicsofthoseresearchersmorelikelytosubmita‘questionablepublication’• Weunderstandthepressurestopublish,althoughthisnotionismorelikelytobeconfoundedbysituationalandorculturalfactors• Weunderstandthedemandforgreatertransparencyandaccountabilitytoensurethatresearcherspracticetheircraftwithintegrity• Weknowthattheemergingemphasisontrans-disciplinaryresearchchallengesresearchersthatdon’thaveatraditionoftrans-disciplinarycollaboration• Weknowerrorscangenuinelyoccurforarangeofreasons,otherthendeliberate,negligentorrecklessintention.
The Protagonist
• Diversityofpublishingpracticesacrossdisciplinesandjournals• Ahierarchyofcontactpointsthatcanbedifficulttonavigatewhichfromtimetofeelsdeliberatelyimpenetrable!• Thereareinternationalstandardsforeditorswhichlookandfeelgood!• Whenitcomestocorrectingthepublicrecordourrespectiveprocessesmayfromtimetotimerubinoppositedirections
The Publisher
• Culturalnarrativeonpublicationethics,leadfromthefront• Guidelinescraftedaroundresponsibleresearchpractices• Onlineresourcestoaccommodatedifferentmediausage• Postpublicationresponsibilities– andwhyitmatters• Publicationandauthorshiptraining• Encouraginguseoforiginalitysoftwarepriortopublication• Bespoketrainingpost-integrityevents• Monitoringofresearchapprovedbyanethicscommittee• Dosometargeted“stuff”whenneeded
The Academic Setting
• Post-investigation,correctionofthepublicrecordisanimperative.
• fromaninstitutionalperspective– reputation,integrityofreportedresearch,andtrustbyfunders• Needstooccurinthetimelymanner,toavoidongoingre-agitationofpublicationissues
• Managingtheprivacyandconfidentialityofrespondents– oftenatoddstothedemandsofcomplaintsandorinprovidingthedetailsofaninvestigationoutcometopublishers• Collateraldamagemanagementforco-authorswhichmightincludeearlycareerresearchers,HDRstudents,collaboratorsandfunders.
The Academic Setting – Priorities
Howmightwecollectivelychangethefutureofpublicationethics?
Wewantthesamething:publicationintegrity
ThenewCOPEandinstitutionalmembershiparrangementpresentsanopportunitytodevelopandroadtestacooperativeworkflowmodelwhichidentifieskeydecisionpointsandprocesses.
Thiscouldextendtoaninternationalcollaborationwithinstitutionalmembersandintegrityorganisations(nationalororganisationbased– i.e.ORI,ARIC,Tri-Agency,UKRIO).
Developajointstatementofstandardsformanagingpublication,retractionsandcorrections.
Howmightwecollectivelychangethefutureofpublicationethics?
Wewantthesamething:publicationintegrity
