Subject & Study Guides: Publication Strategy: Publication Ethics

Ethical Research & Publishing Practice

Ethical research and publishing practice is fundamental in upholding academic and research integrity. Several types of ethical issues and problems can arise throughout the publishing process including:

Plagiarism and self-plagiarism
Definition and attribution of authorship
Failure to acquire ethics approval or participant consent
Data falsification or manipulation of results
Failure to disclose conflicts of interest
Breaches of copyright
Duplicate submissions of manuscripts

European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
Published by ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities.
European Network of Research Integrity Offices
Includes documents and links to codes and guidelines on research integrity, good practices, misconduct, training and education.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
COPE provides advice to editors and publishers on all aspects of publication ethics, including guidance on retraction, plagiarism and other ethical concerns.
Publication ethics: who is responsible?
Presentation by Stephanie Harriman, Medical Editor, Research Integrity Group (Biomed Central).
What is Ethics in Research & Why is it Important?
Article by Dr. David B. Resnik, Bioethicist and Chair of the US National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences IRB.
Publishing & Research Ethics (Elsevier)
Online tutorials and other learning materials from Elsevier publishers discussing the major types of scientific misconduct and how to avoid them.

The Student's Guide to Research Ethics by Paul Oliver
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9780335237975
Publication Date: 2010-03-01
Why should every researcher consider the ethical implications of their work? What constitutes ethical research? How can best practice be maintained throughout a research project? This reader-friendly book examines the ethical issues and questions that occur in university and professional research and will help both beginning and experienced researchers to identify ethical issues when they are conducting research. The book thoroughly examines the broader ethical issues that arise throughout research, from the design stage through to data collection and analysis. It also investigates topical issues such as content, confidentiality and ethical questions in the dissemination of research. There are also discussions of ethical theories as well as case studies that highlight dilemmas and how they can be avoided or resolved.

Ethics and Authorship

Publication Ethics in AIT

AIT has a number of authorship and research integrity policies with which you should familiarise yourself. Clicking on the links below will download a PDF version of the policy for you to read:

AIT Research Ethics Committee Guidance Notes
AIT Research Postgraduate Academic Regulations
AIT Research Governance

What constitutes authorship? COPE Discussion Document
A discussion document from the Committee on Publication Ethics aimed at publishers, but may also provide guidance for researchers in cases where defining authorship can be problematic e.g. collaborative groups and where there are multiple authors and collaborators.
Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors
Guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors on the role of authors and non-author contributors.
How to determine who should be an author of a paper?
A workable procedure for determining authorship that authors can follow during the preparation and publication of an article. Produced by The European Association of Science Editors (EASE).
How to handle authorship disputes: a guide for new researchers (COPE)
Authorship on Scientific and Scholarly Publications Policy, Washington University

Ethics and Peer Review

Peer reviewers also have ethical obligations and responsibilities in helping to uphold research integrity. The links below provide guidance and advice for reviewers, authors and others involved in the publishing process:

COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers
The COPE Ethical Guidelines for
Peer Reviewers set out the basic principles and standards to which all peer reviewers should adhere during
the peer-review process.
Ethics in peer review – the reality for researchers
Results from a white paper produced by publishers Taylor & Frances on “Peer review in 2015: a global view”
Peer Review Resources by Yale University
Includes a guide for manuscript reviewers and an overview of ethical issues in peer review.

Peer Review and Manuscript Management in Scientific Journals by Irene Hames
ISBN: 9781405131599
Publication Date: 2007
Peer Review and Manuscript Management in Scientific Journals provides guidance on all aspects of peer review, from manuscript submission to final decision.

Tutorial: Peer Review
Tutorial produced by University of Manchester - covers things to consider before agreeing to serve as a reviewer and good practice when writing reviews.