The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research

The code was jointly developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Australian Research Council (ARC) and Universities Australia. The Code has broad relevance across all research disciplines. It replaces the joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practices (1997).

The Code should be read in conjunction with:
Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research (NHMRC 2003) and Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies (AIATSIS 2002).

For further information contact Simon Brennan, Director, Research Branch.
Or see the University of Adelaide's policy about Responsible Conduct of Research.

Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research

view the full Code.

Review of Code Compliance

In late 2009 the NHMRC went through a process of auditing another Go8 institution in relation to their compliance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and the NHMRC Deed of Agreement. The Audit process was rigorous and involved an investigation of not only the University’s ability to comply with the Code but also where they were administering grants on behalf of titleholders from affiliated organisations, how the University ensured that this cohort of researchers were complying with the Code. The NHMRC selected a number of individual projects and required that all financial reports, progress reports and copies of ethics approvals be provided to them for review at short notice. A good deal of emphasis was placed on Part A of the Code (e.g. retention of Authorship statements, data management practices etc,). The Audit team interviewed the DVCR, the CFO, individual Ethics Committee Chairs, researchers involved in the projects and research office staff. It is reasonable to assume that this review process will be rolled out more broadly in the future.

The University of Adelaide has implemented internal processes for monitoring compliance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research in consultation with Faculties.

Director (Research Branch) identifies projects, in consulation with Executive Deans		Director (Research Branch) forwards checklist to researcher for action, cc to Head of School and Executive Dean		Researchers complete checklist, submit online to Research Branch
If problem-free the Director (Research Branch) sends acknowledgement and files checklist		Director (Research Branch) conducts sample audit process of researcher's records		Research Branch delivers all relevant responses to Head of School to acknowledge
		If problem identified, checklist referred to PVC(RO)/DVC(R) for consideration/action

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Incidences where non-compliance with the Code is identified may lead to the use of research misconduct procedures.

It should be noted that all affiliates of the University are required to abide by University policies. If instances of misconduct are detected amongst affiliates, discussions should be held between representatives of the University and the affiliates' employer.