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