Research Ethics & Integrity
The University has adopted the UK Research Integrity Office’s Code of Practice for Research and the Concordat to Support Research Integrity, embedding those in School-specific policies.
The College of Science and Engineering undertakes a wide range of research and consultancy work. All research carried out by staff and students should be performed in accordance with the College of Science & Engineering's Research Ethics framework.
The College has developed a Research Ethics and Integrity framework that suits its disciplines. The CSE framework lays out a set of guidelines that govern Research Ethics and Integrity in its seven Schools and EPCC (Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre), including Ethics Review procedures, Research Misconduct, and training in Ethics and Integrity.
The College's Research Ethics & Integrity framework
The College Research Ethics & Integrity intranet (UoE login required)
The seven academic Schools and EPCC are responsible for implementing those guidelines at a local level. Each School/centre takes responsibility for ethical review and approval of all research internally, while the College Office is required to ensure that procedures exist in each School/centre. School/centres are responsible for reviewing research proposals for ethical implications, handling allegations of research misconduct, and fostering a culture of integrity. EPCC currently process ethics approval applications through the School most relevant to the proposed research project, which is in the majority of cases either the School of Informatics or Physics & Astronomy.
Follow the links below to each of the Schools for more information on those procedures.
School Specific Ethics and Integrity Procedures
If you would like more information on matters of research ethics & integrity please contact the relevant Ethics Officer for your School/EPCC:
Research Integrity
The College, as well as the University as a whole, has adopted the UK Research Integrity Office’s Code of Practice for Research and the Concordat to Support Research Integrity, published by Universities UK.
The Concordat to Support Research Integrity is committed to:
- maintaining the highest standards of rigour and integrity in all aspects of research
- ensuring that research is conducted according to appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards
- 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
- using transparent, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of research misconduct should they arise
- working together to strengthen the integrity of research and to reviewing progress regularly and openly
The UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) provides expert advice and guidance about the conduct of research.
Both documents informed the creation of the College's Research Ethics and Integrity framework.
Research Integrity at the University of Edinburgh
Please use the link below to access the University's Research Integrity pages with information across the University on Research Ethics and Integrity processes. An important part of this is REIRG which is a cross-College initiative that provides oversight and ensures that research integrity and governance is firmly embedded in the University’s ethos and culture.