Appointment of Inquiry Panel
Within 21 working days of initiation of procedures
Research
Research Integrity at DCU
DCU is committed to ensuring the highest standards of integrity in all aspects of our research, in line with the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland (2024), HEA Principles of Good Practice in Research within Irish Higher Education Institutions, and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity.
Our commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct in research is formally expressed through our publicly accessible codes and policies: The following are specific to research integrity:
These codes and policies are regularly reviewed against external standards to ensure that they reflect current best practice. The Research Support office work together with colleagues in the Office of the Chief Operations Officer, Graduate Studies Office, the Library, Human Resources and Information Systems Services to ensure our research integrity codes and policies are also in line with relevant legislation and existing institutional policies and systems.
Research Integrity Bytes Lunchtime Series 2024 - 2025
Date: November 2024 - April 2025
Time: 1.00 - 1.45pm
Location: Online
DCU’s Research Development and Support Team invites you to our lunchtime series offering “byte sized” updates on research integrity matters. The series is relevant to all DCU researchers and will provide an opportunity to engage with colleagues in enhancing research integrity across the research project lifecycle. Each of the six interactive sessions will focus on an aspect of research integrity and offer practical tips to participants. The details for each session are outlined below.
Session 1:
Unacceptable research practices vs research misconduct
Date: Thursday, 21st November 2024
Time: 1.00pm - 1.45pm
Venue: Online
In the first session of Research Integrity Bytes we will discuss unacceptable research practices and research misconduct, distinguishing between them and identifying specific examples of each.
Register for session 1 here
Session 2:
Research integrity and the use of AI in research
Date: Thursday, 5th December 2024
Time: 1.00pm - 1.45pm
Venue: Online
In the second Research Integrity Bytes session we will look at how to address research integrity concerns that arise when using Gen-AI in research.
Session 3:
Research integrity and data selection, analysis and presentation
Date: Thursday, 9th January 2025
Time: 1.00pm - 1.45pm
Venue: Online
In the third Research Integrity Bytes session we will discuss the research integrity challenges that may arise when selecting, analysing, and presenting research data and how to manage them.
Session 4:
Research integrity, paper mills and predatory journals
Date: Thursday, 13th February 2025
Time: 1.00pm - 1.45pm
Venue: Online
In the fourth Research Integrity Bytes session we will look at how papermills and predatory journals may compromise research integrity by reducing the quality and credibility of published research.
Session 5:
Research integrity and conflicts of interest
Date: Thursday, 13th March 2025
Time: 1.00pm - 1.45pm
Venue: Online
In the fifth Research Integrity Bytes session we will discuss conflicts of interest and approaches to managing them to ensure the integrity of the research process.
Session 6:
Research integrity and human participants
Date: Thursday, 10th April 2025
Time: 1.00pm - 1.45pm
Venue: Online
In the sixth and final Research Integrity Bytes session we will reflect on the main challenges to ensuring that human participants are protected in the research process and ways of managing these challenges to enhance research integrity.
Please direct any queries about the Research Integrity Bytes Lunchtime Series 2024 - 2025 to catherine.dean@dcu.ie
The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023) and the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland (2024) specify four fundamental principles of research integrity, which Dublin City University endorses.
These principles are:
- Reliability in ensuring the quality of the research, reflected in the design, methodology, analysis and use of resources.
- Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, reporting and communicating research in a transparent, fair, full and unbiased way.
- Respect for colleagues, research participants, research subjects, society, ecosystems, cultural heritage and the environment.
- Accountability for the research from idea to publication, for its management and organisation, for training, supervision and mentoring, and for its wider societal impacts.
In addition, these principles are well aligned with the seven areas of good research practice and associated supports and activities outlined in the DCU Code of Good Research Practice:
- Research environment
- Training, supervision and mentoring
- Research procedures
- Safeguards
- Data practices and management
- Collaborative working
In order to promote best practice in responsible research behaviour, DCU provide training on Research Integrity. This includes online Research Integrity training tailored for early stage researchers and experienced researchers, plus a blended Research Integrity Training Programme targeted at graduate research students. Research integrity is a key component in the induction of staff and research students, and presentations and resources are made available to the DCU research community via the Research Support webpages.
Maintaining well-established ethical standards is an important aspect of upholding the integrity of the research process. The DCU Research Ethics Committee (REC) exists to promote the highest ethical standards in all research at DCU involving human participants or animal subjects. In addition to providing information on the submission process for ethical review, the REC also provides topic-specific resources and guideline documents to inform the proposal development process. Full details available via the Research Ethics section of the website.
For further information, please contact the following:
Contact points for research integrity training: Gillian Moriarty (graduate students) and Catherine Dean (academic staff and postdoc researchers)
Contact point for the DCU Research Ethics Committee: rec@dcu.ie
Dublin City University will take all reasonable steps to adhere to the principles that underpin transparent, fair and effective procedures to deal with allegations of research misconduct, in line with the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023) and the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland (2024). These principles include:
- Integrity of the process
- Fairness
- Uniformity
- Confidentiality
- No detriment
Full procedural details for carrying out any investigation into potential research misconduct, and details on the relevant disciplinary processes and procedures in case if allegations of research misconduct have been substantiated, are provided in the DCU Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct. The DCU Research Integrity Officer is Dr. Declan Raftery
First meeting of Inquiry Panel
Within 15 working days of the appointment of Inquiry Panel
Production of Draft Inquiry Report
As soon as possible but within a maximum of 60 working days of the first meeting of Inquiry Panel
Comments on Draft Inquiry Report
Within 15 working days of receipt of draft inquiry report
Production of Draft Investigation Report
As soon as possible but within a maximum of 60 working days of the commencement of stage 2
Comments on Draft Investigation Report
Within 14 working days of receipt of investigation report
Determination following Final Investigation Report
Within 14 working days of receipt of Final Investigation Report
Filing of an Appeal
Within 14 working days of receipt of the final determination
Determination following Appeal
Within 60 working days of receipt of appeal submission
DCU Research Misconduct Procedures - flowchart
To access DCU Research Misconduct Procedures flowchart in PDF format, please click HERE
If you have a concern regarding Research Integrity, we would encourage you to access the following channels:
- Speak to your Faculty Research Integrity Advocate, or Head of School/Faculty Dean
- Contact the Research Office at research@dcu.ie for any clarification around DCU policies and codes
- Contact the Research Integrity Officer with details of your concern
- There is also the facility to make an anonymous report of research misconduct
Your communication will be treated confidentially.