RCR Resources

UAA Requirements and Resources

Academic Honesty and Integrity is a UAA requirement for students, and is addressed in the UAA Student Code of Conduct. The UAA Consortium library provides a Guide on Academic Integrity as well.

Shared Values and Competencies of Responsible Research

UAA shares the values described in the ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research, which include the following:

  • Honesty: Conveying information truthfully and honoring commitments.
  • Accuracy: Reporting findings precisely and taking care to avoid errors.
  • Efficiency: Using resources wisely and avoiding waste.
  • Objectivity: Letting the facts speak for themselves and avoiding improper bias.

    (from: Steneck, Nicholas; ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research), United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2007, ISBN 978-0-16-072285-1)

Further, UAA is proactive in its support of campus-wide incorporation of these shared values in research education. Combining adherence to federal regulations, agency policies, and university institutional policies is complex.

The PHS ORI supports academic societies to address nine recognized core competencies for the responsible conduct of research. These are:

1. Data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership;
2. Mentor/trainee responsibilities;
3. Publication practices and responsible authorship;
4. Peer review;
5. Collaborative science;
6. Human subjects (IRB);
7. Research involving animals (IACUC);
8. Research misconduct; and
9. Conflict of interest and commitment

(from ORI's Program for Academic Societies, and other materials)

RCR Regulations

Federal legislative actions require education practices for at least three of the core competencies: animal welfare, human welfare, and research misconduct. Three acts passed by Congress support specific regulations which allow the federal government the authority to regulate the research it funds.

  • The 1966 Animal Welfare Act (PL 89-544)
  • The 1974 National Research Act (PL 93-348)
  • The 1985 Health Research Extension  Act (PL 99-158)

Some other critical areas of research education also center around applications of research behavior and policies. Competence and safe practices are vital in the areas of environmental health, laboratory safety, intellectual property issues, conflict management, and fiscal responsibility. 

The ongoing process of ensuring the integrity of the research record is the responsibility of everyone involved in research and sponsored programs, from the principal investigator to  departmental administrators to grant technicians and to financial managers. There can be no exceptions to upholding values which foster the highest integrity in all levels of responsible research.

Federal and Academic RCR Resources

  • The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Research Integrity (ORI), has RCR educational resources in core instructional areas. See ORI's General Resources Page for a variety of instructional materials.
  • NIH Financial Conflict of Interest Resources and Training are available online from the Office of Extramural Research, NIH, DHHS.
  • NIH Guide, Vol. 24, #25, 7/14/95, Public Health Service (includes NIH and NSF), that has information about federal financial conflict of interest regulations entitled Objectivity in Research.
  • The Online Ethics Center (an NSF-funded Educational Resource) offers resources for further RCR education including: 1) cases and scenarios for use in classes, seminars, or research, and 2) essays, articles, and student projects concerning research ethics and author status.
  • A helpful resource is a booklet by the Office of Research Integrity entitled ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research. The content is available online or via downloadable pdf.