Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018 (the 2018 Code) establishes a framework for responsible research conduct that provides a foundation for high-quality research, credibility and community trust in the research endeavour.
In June 2018, the ARC, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Universities Australia (the co-authors) issued the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018 (the Code) and the Guide to Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Code (the Investigation Guide).
The Code articulates the broad principles that characterise an honest, ethical and conscientious research culture. It outlines the expectations for the conduct of research in Australia or research conducted under the auspices of Australian institutions. The new Investigation Guide will assist institutions to manage, investigate and resolve complaints about potential breaches of the Code.
The 2018 Code and Investigation Guide replace the 2007 version of the Code. NHMRC, ARC and Universities Australia expect institutions to meet the requirements of the 2018 Code and Investigation Guide by no later than 1 July 2019.
Supplementary Guides Supporting Implementation Of The Code
The ARC, NHMRC and Universities Australia are developing a series of supplementary guides designed to support institutions and researchers to implement and comply with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (the Code).
The following guides have been released and can be downloaded from the NHMRC’s website:
- Authorship
- Management of Data and Information in Research
- Peer Review
- Disclosure of Interests and Management of Conflicts of Interest
- Supervision
- Collaborative Research
ARC Open Access Policy (2017)
The ARC Open Access Policy took effect from 1 January 2013. The Policy applies to all Research Outputs arising from ARC Funded Research and their Metadata. For the purposes of this policy, Research Outputs do not include research data and research data outputs.
Any Research Outputs arising from an ARC supported research Project must be made openly accessible within a twelve (12) month period from the date of publication.
In cases where researchers may not be able to meet the requirements because of current legal or contractual obligations, Final Reports must provide reasons why Research Outputs derived from a Project, Award, or Fellowship have not been made openly accessible within the twelve (12) month period.
