Research Governance

The University is committed to good research conduct and to the underlying principles and commitments of  the revised UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity (October 2019). 

Members of the University have a collective responsibility to protect the good names of their colleagues and the institution by ensuring that their own research adheres to the principles of good research conduct and that they promote good research practice within the institution’s research community.

All those involved with the management of, or engaged in, research are committed to the following principles:

1. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of rigour and integrity in all aspects of research.

2. We are committed to ensuring that research is conducted according to appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards.

3. We are committed to supporting a research environment that is underpinned by a culture of integrity and based on good governance, best practice and support for the development of researchers.

4. We are committed to using transparent, timely, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of research misconduct when they arise.

5. We are committed to working together to strengthen the integrity of research and to reviewing progress regularly and openly.

All staff, students and visiting researchers must, therefore, adhere to the highest standards of integrity in the conduct of their research as set out in the Abertay Research Code of Conduct.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs the way that organisations use personal data. You can access the Abertay Privacy Notice for Research Participants here.

Anyone wanting more information on matters of research integrity, should contact (and in confidence) the Dean of Research and the Graduate School (n.white@abertay.ac.uk) or the Chair of the University Research Ethics Committee (k.Smith@abertay.ac.uk). Alternatively, if you have a concern about research misconduct within the University, please raise the issue on our Information & Procedures on Complaints page.

Abertay staff, students and visiting researchers with concerns about observed, apparent or suspected research misconduct can email Graduate School or email Research Ethics.

The University is a signatory and is fully committed to the principles outlined in the revised UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers (September 2019). 

This Concordat sets out the conditions required to create the very best culture for researchers to thrive.  The Concordat sets out a vision of working practices, roles and responsibilities that will further the attractiveness and sustainability of research careers in the UK, and thus ensure the continued provision of well-trained, talented and motivated researchers that is essential to the continuation of research excellence.‌

The university has sought to align its procedures and practices to support researchers around the three defining principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers covering Environment and Culture, Employment, and Professional and Career Development.

1. Environment and culture: Excellent research requires a supportive and inclusive research culture. Healthy working environments attract and develop a more diverse workforce, impact positively on individual and institutional performance, and enhance staff engagement. This Principle recognises that a proactive and collaborative approach is required between all stakeholders, to create and develop positive environments and cultures in which all researchers can flourish and achieve their full potential.
2. Employment: Researchers are recruited, employed and managed under conditions that recognise and value their contributions. Provision of good employment conditions for researchers has positive impacts on researcher wellbeing, the attractiveness of research careers, and research excellence. This Principle recognises the importance of fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment, progression and promotion, effective performance management, and a good work-life balance. All stakeholders need to address long-standing challenges around insecurity of employment and career progression, ensuring equality of experience and opportunity for all, irrespective of background, contract type and personal circumstances.
3. Professional and career development: Professional and career development are integral to enabling researchers to develop their full potential. Researchers must be equipped and supported to be adaptable and flexible in an increasingly diverse global research environment and employment market. This Principle recognises the importance of continuous professional and career development, particularly as researchers pursue a wide range of careers.

The Dean of Research and the Graduate School (n.white@abertay.ac.uk) champions the development and delivery of our Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers action plan.

Abertay has signed up to the eight guiding principles contained in the UK-wide initiative, the Knowledge Exchange Concordat. The Knowledge Exchange (KE) Concordat provides a framework for effective knowledge exchange and supports institutions to develop clear and ambitious strategic objectives for their KE activities.

The Knowledge Exchange Concordat has eight guiding Principles:

1. Mission: Knowledge exchange is a recognised part of the overall institutional strategy and is valued for the social, cultural and economic outcomes it helps us achieve. We have a clear understanding of the institutional role and the purpose of KE, including recognition of the needs and interests of potential and current partners and beneficiaries, ensuring a commitment to inclusivity and equality. Clarity of mission is essential for efficient and effective KE. Staff, students and external organisations need to understand the aims and priorities of the institution’s senior leaders and governors in relation to the whole range of KE activities undertaken by the institution.
2. Policies and processes: Where appropriate, we have clear policies on the types of KE that we undertake and work with staff, students, collaborators and beneficiaries so that the policies are understood and operationalised. Institutions could provide evidence of a clear set of policies covering those areas of KE central to the institution’s mission and values, and consistent with its charitable status and aims.
3. Engagement: We build effective relationships by having clear routes to access information and expertise in the university, with engagement mechanisms and policies developed to suit the needs of a wide range of beneficiaries and partners working with institutions as publicly funded bodies.
4. Working transparently and ethically: We make sure that our partners and beneficiaries understand the ethical and charitable regulatory environments in which our institution operates, including a commitment to inclusivity and equality, and we take steps to maximise the benefit to them within that context.
5. Capacity building: We ensure that our staff and students are developed and trained appropriately to understand and undertake their roles and responsibilities in the delivery of successful KE.
6. Recognition and rewards: We recognise and reward the achievements of staff and students who perform high quality KE activities.
7. Continuous improvement: We proactively strive to share best practice with our peers and have established processes for learning from this.
8. Evaluating success: We undertake regular institutional and collective monitoring and review of our strengthening KE performance using this concordat and through regional, national or international benchmarks to inform the development and execution of a programme of continuous improvement so that KE becomes more effective.

The University is committed to the principles of the Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research, which sets out clear expectations for research organisations, researcher managers and supporters and researchers themselves, aimed at strengthening existing good practice in public engagement by ensuring it is valued, recognised and supported.

The University recognises the importance of public engagement to help maximise the social and economic impact of its research. Four principles of the Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research, which are:

1. The University has a strategic commitment to public engagement
2. Researchers are recognised and valued for their involvement with public engagement activities
3. Researchers are enabled to participate in public engagement activities through appropriate training, support and opportunities
4. The University will undertake a regular review of its progress in fostering public engagement activities and impact.

An engaged university embeds public engagement into its work. Find out about Abertay's commitment to public engagement.

The University is committed to the principles of The Concordat on Open Research Data to ensure that the research data gathered and generated by members of the research community is made openly available for use by others wherever possible in a manner consistent with relevant legal, ethical, disciplinary and regulatory frameworks and norms, and with due regard to the costs involved.

All Abertay staff, students and visiting researchers must adhere to the Abertay University Open Access Publications’ Policy and the Abertay University Research Data Management Policy which are aligned to the principles of the Concordat on Open Research Data. Both files are available from the University intranet.