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THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH
NEW INVESTIGATORS: A QUICK GUIDE
TO STARTING YOUR RESEARCH AT UCSF
Table
of Contents
Being Responsible - Other Topics:
| Authorship
and Publication | Confidentiality
and Privacy | Data
Management: Research Records |
ETHICAL CONDUCT OF RESEARCH
• What are Principal Investigators responsible
for?
• How do I fulfill these responsibilities?
• Are there
areas of special concern for investigators?
• How do I report a concern?
• Relevant Policies and Procedures
What are
Principal Investigators responsible for?
UCSF is committed to creating and maintaining
an environment for research that conforms to the highest ethical
principles, fosters intellectual honesty and integrity, and encourages
scientific advances of the highest quality. All researchers are
obligated to uphold the highest standards of research integrity
by:
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1. |
Promoting open exchange of
scientific findings by a thorough description of methods
and data in published reports; |
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2. |
Enabling other investigators to reproduce
and expand on published findings by making unique research
materials, such as cells, DNA clones, or monoclonal antibodies,
available when feasible to any interested academic; |
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3. |
Maintaining accurate and detailed records
of research procedures and results; |
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4. |
Safeguarding intellectual property rights
by fairly and honestly assigning authorship or acknowledgement
and by appropriate attribution of credit in research publications
to the originators of ideas, methods, and findings; and |
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5. |
Fulfilling all departmental and University
research and publication standards. Fabrication, falsification,
plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from
those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community
are unethical. They are also, by definition of the United
States Public Health Service, scientific misconduct, and
constitute grounds for disciplinary action by the University
and the Public Health Service. |
How do
I fulfill these responsibilities?
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1. |
Orienting your laboratory
and collaborating personnel to University standards, policies
and procedures; |
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2. |
Overseeing all work performed by your
students, research fellows, residents, co-investigators and
staff to ensure that each has the knowledge, information,
skills and support necessary to meet these standards; |
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3. |
Complying fully with all policies, regulations,
and University guidelines governing the use of human or animal
subjects and hazardous materials; and |
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4. |
Verifying the validity and quality of
data and manuscripts generated in your laboratories. |
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of page |
Are there
areas of special concern for investigators?
Yes. Questions can arise about integrity of
the research in the areas of authorship, conflict of interest,
and finances. Some simple guidance to avoid problems would include
reading and understanding the appropriate sections in this Quick
Guide as well as understanding the following:
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• |
Authorship: |
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• |
Co-authorship must reflect
scientific involvement in the project. By agreeing to submit
a manuscript for publication, each author assumes responsibility
for all work reported within his or her area of expertise. |
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• |
Experimental data, reports and manuscripts
should be reviewed by all co-authors as well as by the senior
member of the research team. |
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Conflict of Interest: |
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In order to protect the objectivity of
research and reduce opportunity for bias in the interpretation
and reporting of results, investigators are required to disclose
financial interests in private sponsors of their research
or related to their PHS- and NSF- funded research. |
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• |
Disclosures are reviewed and when
it is determined that the financial interests could have
a direct and significant affect on the research the University
will take steps to eliminate, mitigate, or manage these
conflicts.
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• |
Financial: |
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• |
Costs of clinical studies performed primarily for investigational
purposes should not be borne by patients or third party
payers.
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• |
Unauthorized or undisclosed use of public
funds to support industry-funded studies is unethical. |
How
do I report a concern?
All UCSF faculty, staff, students, and trainees
who have reason to question the integrity of the work of any
research participant should inform a responsible superior, the
department chair, dean, or academic vice chancellor. Additional
contacts include:
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Office of the Dean, School
of Dentistry |
476-1323 |
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Office of the Vice Dean, School of
Medicine |
476-1977 |
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Office of the Associate Dean, School
of Nursing |
476-1223 |
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Office of the Associate Dean, School
of Pharmacy |
476-4637 |
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Office of the Dean, Graduate Division |
476-9716 |
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Office of the Vice Chancellor, Academic
Affairs |
476-4451 |
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of page |
Relevant
Policies and Procedures
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