Research integrity
The University is fully committed to ensuring that its research is undertaken to the highest standards of integrity.
It expects its researchers, staff and students, always to act with honesty and openness in all aspects of their research, to ensure that risk to participants, collaborators and themselves is minimal, and to have sensitivity to the cultures and environments in which they are operating.
Research Ethics
All research involving human participants, their tissue or data is subject to ethical review. Our ethical review procedures, as well as our principles for ethical research, are set out in our Research Ethics Policy. Researchers are expected to be fully conversant with this policy and of any relevant professional body guidance on ethics and research practice. We provide our researchers with a variety of training opportunities relating to research integrity and ethics.
Research Integrity Champion
The University’s Research Integrity Champion is Dr John-Paul Wilson, Chair of the Research Integrity and Governance Committee. He is the first point of contact for anyone wanting more information on matters of research integrity at the University. He can be contacted as follows:
Dr John-Paul Wilson
University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ.
Tel: 01905 542611.
Email: j.wilson@worc.ac.uk.
Allegations of Research Misconduct
The University takes very seriously any allegation of research misconduct made by its own staff or students or by anyone external to the University. It has in place clear procedures for dealing with any such allegation set out in its procedures for dealing with allegations of research misconduct.
If you have a concern about any aspect of a research project you should ask to speak to the researcher(s) in the first instance who should do their best to address any questions. If any concerns are not addressed through this route or if you feel this route is not appropriate, you should approach the named contact:
Professor Eleanor Bradley,
Director of RKE, College of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences,
University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ.
Tel: 01905 542616.
Email: e.bradley@worc.ac.uk.
In their absence (or where there is a conflict of interest with the named contact), the alternate contact may be approached, contact details as follows:
Dr Paul Newland,
Director of RKE, College of Arts, Humanities & Education,
University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester, WR2 6AJ.
Email: p.newland@worc.ac.uk.
Any initial contact may be made informally and will always be treated in complete confidence. It may be that any issues can be addressed at this stage through informal discussion or by some form of arbitration rather than through a formal investigation. If, however, you wish to make a formal complaint about research conduct, you should submit the complaint in writing accompanied by any supporting evidence to the contact.