Ensuring Research Integrity and Research Security
Recently, as international competition in science, technology, and innovation intensifies, promoting globalization and openness has become increasingly vital. At the same time, there is an increasing need to manage the new risks that accompany these developments.
These circumstances not only raise concerns about undermining the fundamental values that support the research environment, such as openness and transparency, but also increase the risk that researchers may unintentionally become involved in conflicts of interest or conflicts of commitment. Furthermore, these circumstances also pose a threat that hard-earned research outputs and data may be improperly disclosed or exploited.
Under such circumstances, the Japanese government adopted the “Policy on Ensuring Research Integrity in Response to New Risks Arising from the Internationalization and Openness of Research Activities.” In addition, as part of its initiatives based on this policy, the government also established the "Guidelines for Ensuring Research Security."
Through these measures, the government has created a system that supports two important goals: making sure research is reliable and fair (research integrity) and encouraging the independent management of research results and related resources to keep them safe from different risks (research security).
In response, the University of Osaka is committed to an integrated approach to ensuring both research integrity and research security to foster a research environment that is trusted internationally. By safeguarding the values that form the foundation of the research environment and strengthening the framework that enables each researcher to engage in their research activities with peace of mind, the University of Osaka will continue to powerfully drive the trend toward open science and proactively advance international cooperation and exchange under a foundation of international trust.
Objectives of Research Integrity & Research Management
Since researchers are engaged not only in research but also in a variety of professional activities and roles, influence from foreign governments and organizations may affect various aspects of their professional activities. Such influence may give rise to various risks, including risks of conflicts of interest and technology leakage. In response, the University of Osaka will establish a university-wide framework to manage research integrity and security risks through coordination among personnel responsible for the relevant areas. The University of Osaka will also enhance researchers’ awareness of research integrity and research security through targeted training and workshops.
What researchers are asked to do
In order to secure openness of their research activity and achieve accountability for stakeholders, researchers are asked to do the following:
- Recognize new risks associated with increasing internationalization and openness of research
- Understand the importance of securing transparency and accountability in their research
- Submit and report necessary information to their organizations and research fund organizations
Related rules and management system
Basic Policy on Research Integrity Management (link in Japanese)
Regulations on Securing Research Integrity at The University of Osaka (link in Japanese)
For information about procedures for research integrity, click here. (MyHandai)
Contact
Office for Risk Management of International Collaborative Research
(Security Control Section, Research Compliance and Integrity Division, Department of Research Promotion)
Email: r-integrity [at] ml.office.osaka-u.ac.jp
Please replace [at] with @ when contacting this address.
*Reports on misuse of public research funds from OU and outside of it are accepted at the Audit Office.
⇒ Reporting research misconduct