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							<p>Researchers are allowed and expected to set standards for responsible practice in their field of research. These professional standards should be considered alongside governmental and institutional sources of policy and guidance.</p>
							<p>As part of your research training in your field of study, you should have been taught the <glossary content="Conduct that is widely accepted by professionals in a field of research as the best and most reliable." placement="bottom">best practices</glossary> that apply in your area. These typically include standards for:</p>
							
							<ul>
								<li>Conducting research (particularly appropriate methods)</li>
								<li>Storing, protecting, interpreting and sharing data</li>
								<li>Publishing/reporting results</li>
								<li>Working as a professional researcher.</li>
							</ul>
							
							<p>By the time you complete your training, you should know how to conduct a research project in your field of study to the highest standards. However, if you still find yourself unsure about the best practices in your field, where should you look for guidance?</p>
							
							<h3>The sources of guidance on professional responsibilities</h3>
							
							<p>Professional best practices are set out in four key sources.</p>
							
							<instructional-text><p>Click on each of the four boxes surrounding "Best practices" below to read about the main sources of guidance on professional responsibilities. For links to some examples of documents outlining best practices in research, see the "Useful links" pod.</p></instructional-text>
							<instructional-text-accessible><p>Continue on to read about the main sources of guidance on professional responsibilities. For links to some examples of documents outlining best practices in research, refer to the "Useful links" pod.</p></instructional-text-accessible>
							
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								<labelled-graphic-hotspot location="0,0" placement="top" label="Textbooks, courses and educational resources" heading="Textbooks, courses and educational resources" content="Researchers should be taught responsible practices as part of their training. The courses you took or are taking should establish a foundation for responsible practice alongside self-directed education and development. If you have any questions about designing, conducting or publishing research, it is best to begin by identifying the relevant textbooks and educational resources."></labelled-graphic-hotspot>
								<labelled-graphic-hotspot location="271,0" placement="top" label="Journal policies and guidelines" heading="Journal policies and guidelines" content="Most professional journals have established specific guidance on how to prepare and submit research manuscripts. They also contain guidance on authorship, citing the work of others, declaring conflicts of interest, preparing illustrations and other key responsibilities associated with publication. Although this will initially be an area your research supervisor helps you with, you will develop familiarity with the expectations of your field over time."></labelled-graphic-hotspot>
								<labelled-graphic-hotspot location="271,121" placement="bottom" label="Funder and governmental policies and guidance" heading="Funder and governmental policies and guidance" content="Funders and government departments often produce legally binding policies covering research that they fund or facilitate. For example, there are:<ul><li>Specific policies covering all work with the NHS</li><li>Policies relating to the individual UK research councils represented by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)</li><li>Contractual obligations written into research grants funded by charitable organisations (for example, the British Academy and bodies that are members of the Association of Medical Research Charities).</li></ul>"></labelled-graphic-hotspot>
								<labelled-graphic-hotspot location="0,121" placement="bottom" label="Codes of conduct" heading="Codes of conduct" content="Many professional research organisations have codes of conduct that set out basic principles and provide additional information on specific practices relevant to the field(s) of research that they represent. The most well-known example is the Declaration of Helsinki, which was published by the World Medical Association. Another example is the British Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct."></labelled-graphic-hotspot>
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								<h4>Textbooks, courses and educational resources</h4>
								<p>Researchers should be taught responsible practices as part of their training. The courses you took or are taking should establish a foundation for responsible practice alongside self-directed education and development. If you have any questions about designing, conducting or publishing research, it is best to begin by identifying the relevant textbooks and educational resources.</p>
								<hr>
								<h4>Journal policies and guidelines</h4>
								<p>Most professional journals have established specific guidance on how to prepare and submit research manuscripts. They also contain guidance on authorship, citing the work of others, declaring conflicts of interest, preparing illustrations and other key responsibilities associated with publication. Although this will initially be an area your research supervisor helps you with, you will develop familiarity with the expectations of your field over time.</p>
								<hr>
								<h4>Funder and governmental policies and guidance</h4>
								<p>Funders and government departments often produce legally binding policies covering research that they fund or facilitate. For example, there are:</p>
								<ul>
									<li>Specific policies covering all work with the NHS</li>
									<li>Policies relating to the individual UK research councils represented by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)</li>
									<li>Contractual obligations written into research grants funded by charitable organisations (for example, the British Academy and bodies that are members of the Association of Medical Research Charities).</li>
								</ul>
								<hr>
								<h4>Codes of conduct</h4>
								<p>Many professional research organisations have codes of conduct that set out basic principles and provide additional information on specific practices relevant to the field(s) of research that they represent. The most well-known example is the Declaration of Helsinki, which was published by the World Medical Association. Another example is the British Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct.</p>
								<hr>
								<h4>Best practices</h4>
								<p>Practices that are widely accepted by most researchers in a field of study as the proper way to conduct research.</p>
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										<p>Below is a select list of guidelines setting out best practices in research:</p>
										<ul>
											<li>The '<a href="http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/" target="_blank">Recommendations</a>' published by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)</li>
											<li>The '<a href="https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines" target="_blank">Guidelines</a>' published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)</li>
											<li><a href="https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2019/the-concordat-to-support-research-integrity.pdf" target="_blank">The Concordat to Support Research Integrity</a>, published by Universities UK (for more information on this, see the "Institutional responsibilities" screen)</li>
											<li><a href="https://www.ukri.org/about-us/policies-and-standards/research-integrity/" target="_blank">RCUK (now UKRI) Policy and Guidelines on Governance of Good Research Conduct</a></li>
											<li><a href="https://wcrif.org/guidance/singapore-statement" target="_blank">Singapore Statement on Research Integrity</a></li>
											<li><a href="https://ukrio.org/publications/code-of-practice-for-research/" target="_blank">UKRIO Code of Practice for Research</a></li>
											<li><a href="https://allea.org/code-of-conduct/" target="_blank">European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity</a></li>
										</ul>
										<p>Research in the UK NHS is covered by the <a href="https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/policies-standards-legislation/uk-policy-framework-health-social-care-research/" target="_blank">UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research</a> and related guidance published by the <a href="https://www.hra.nhs.uk/" target="_blank">Health Research Authority</a> (HRA).</p>
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							<h3>Limitations</h3>
							
							<p>Professional guidance on responsible conduct can have limitations. For example:</p>
							
							<ul>
								<li>Professionals do not always agree on how research in their field should be undertaken</li>
								<li>Best practices are sometimes commonly understood but not formally stated</li>
								<li>Common practices are not necessarily the same as best practices.</li>
							</ul>

							<p>You may be told "this is the way it is done in our field" or "this is how we do things on my project", but that does not necessarily mean that the practice in question is responsible. Some sloppy or questionable practices (e.g. demands for authorship credit based on seniority rather than contributions) may be common, but this does not mean they should be followed.</p>
							
							<h3>Your experience</h3>
							
							<p>Different fields define best practices in different ways and to different extents. What is your experience?</p>
							
							<instructional-text><p>Consider the statements presented in the polls below and select the option that best reflects your level of agreement or disagreement.</p></instructional-text>
							<instructional-text-accessible><p>Consider each statement and reflect on your level of agreement or disagreement.</p></instructional-text-accessible>
							
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								<h4>Statement 1 of 2:</h4>
								<p>Guidance on responsible research practices is well developed in my field or area of research.</p>
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									<li>Strongly agree</li>
									<li>Agree</li>
									<li>Neutral</li>
									<li>Disagree</li>
									<li>Strongly disagree</li>
									<li>No opinion</li>
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								<h4>Statement 2 of 2:</h4>
								<p>Researchers in my area or field of research are aware of a well-known policy or set of guidance.</p>
								<ul>
									<li>Strongly agree</li>
									<li>Agree</li>
									<li>Neutral</li>
									<li>Disagree</li>
									<li>Strongly disagree</li>
									<li>No opinion</li>
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							<p>If you feel that professional guidance on responsible practices is not well developed in your field of research, you might not be aware of important sources of information or may not have received appropriate training. It is also possible that your field does not provide specific guidance on crucial issues.</p>
							
							<h3>Summary</h3>
							
							<p>It is important to be aware of and follow best practices for your field of study, but you should also use common sense and get a second opinion (from your supervisor, mentor or peers) when you have questions. This is particularly true if you find best practices confusing or difficult to pin down.</p>
							
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