Responsible Conduct of Research and Ethical Teaching and Scholarship

The University of Minnesota is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth for the benefit of all people (from Board of Regents Policy: Mission Statement (PDF)). To foster good scholarship and professional conduct, the University of Minnesota has taken steps to inform and educate its faculty, staff and students about these issues. Expectations for members of the University community are spelled out in Board of Regents Policy: Code of Conduct (PDF), which holds members to the highest ethical standards of professional conduct and integrity.

The University also provides its members with learning opportunities and other resources they will need to act as responsible researchers and scholars. Each graduate program is responsible for ensuring that each of its students receives training appropriate to the discipline in the responsible conduct of research and ethical teaching and scholarship. Such training may occur through courses, informal seminars, online instruction, individual mentoring, or other learning opportunities. Additional training requirements may apply depending, for example, on funding sources or disciplinary considerations.

Education in the responsible conduct of research and ethical teaching and scholarship should include the following topics, as appropriate to the discipline:

• the history and values relating to research, teaching and scholarship
• social responsibility
• research misconduct
• reporting misconduct
• authorship
• plagiarism
• peer review
• intellectual property
• conflict of interest
• research data management
• fiscal responsibility
• environmental health and safety
• animal subjects
• human subjects
• mentoring
• collaborative research and scholarship
• compliance with research laws, policies and regulations

Ideally, all students in all disciplines will learn about ethical issues in all of these areas, although some topics may not be directly related to their chosen field of study. As responsible researchers, scholars and professionals, all students should have an understanding of these issues, even though students in different fields may find that these issues affect them differently.

Many resources, in addition to the educational activities of graduate programs, are available to students. These include:

• the student's academic advisor and/or mentor
• University workshops and courses
• University of Minnesota website on the responsible and ethical conduct of research and scholarship
• codes of professional societies and associations

University offices and organizations can answer questions and identify other sources of information. These include:

• Center for Bioethics
• Office of Institutional Compliance
• Office of Occupational Health and Safety, Research Safety
• Office of the Vice President for Research, Expertise & Facilities