Division of Research

Ethics in Research

Brown University upholds the highest ethical standards when it comes to research activities conducted on campus or in partnership with University personnel, resources and facilities. The Research Integrity team partners with Brown’s research community to help ensure studies are guided by government regulations and follow University policies.

Research Integrity is a group of teams — including Animal Research Compliance, Export Controls, the Human Research Protection Program, Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement, Conflict of Interest and Regulatory Compliance — that partner with the research community to facilitate ethical research guided by governing policies and regulations.
Determining authorship is an important component of upholding the integrity of the research and scholarly enterprise and serves as an explicit way of assigning responsibility and giving credit for intellectual work. Authorship credit should be given to those who contribute and participate in substantive ways to scholarly and scientific work,and should honestly and accurately reflect actual contributions.
Brown takes any allegations of research misconduct seriously. Please note that authorship disputes do not fall under the definition of research misconduct unless there is suspected plagiarism.
Brown is committed to the highest levels of integrity and expects researchers to conduct research relationships with honesty, transparency and in a manner that supports the University’s mission.

Related Brown Policies and Guidelines

The purpose of this Policy on Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct (the “Research Misconduct Policy”) is to describe how Brown University (“Brown”) handles Allegation(s) of Research Misconduct. It outlines the rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in Research Misconduct reviews when Brown receives Allegation(s) of Research Misconduct.
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The purpose of the Standard Operating Procedures for Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct (the “Research Misconduct SOP”) is to describe how Brown University (“Brown”) handles the procedures associated with Allegation(s) of Research Misconduct. It outlines the procedures that will be followed when Brown receives Allegation(s) of Research Misconduct.
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Determining authorship is an important component of upholding the integrity of the research and scholarly enterprise and serves as an explicit way of assigning responsibility and giving credit for intellectual work. Authorship credit should be given to those who contribute and participate in substantive ways to scholarly and scientific work,and should honestly and accurately reflect actual contributions.
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Plagiarism is defined under federal regulations and by Brown University’s research misconduct policy as “the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.” Plagiarism is a concern among both academic and scientific research communities. All allegations of plagiarism are taken seriously.
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Members of the Brown community are responsible for sustaining the highest ethical standards of the University, and of the broader community in which they function. The University values integrity, honesty and fairness, and strives to integrate these values into its teaching, research and business activities.
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Brown’s Code of Student Conduct is a set of standards of student behavior and conduct that help maintain a campus environment where ideas are freely exchanged, University property and processes are respected and conflicts are peacefully resolved.
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Brown prohibits retaliation against employees who make good faith reports of potential violations of laws, regulations or a University policy. The University recognizes that employees who report violations must be free from fear of retaliation in support of the University’s mission.
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