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SETU Waterford offers a broad range of academic programmes from levels 6 to 10 on the national framework of qualifications across Business, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Computing.

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Discover the routes into studying at SETU Waterford for school leavers, adult learners, further education students, graduates and people who have already started studies elsewhere as well as options for those interested in online courses.

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Discover the routes into studying at SETU Waterford for school leavers, adult learners, further education students, graduates and people who have already started studies elsewhere as well as options for those interested in online courses.

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SETU Waterford offers a broad range of academic programmes from levels 6 to 10 on the national framework of qualifications across Business, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Computing.

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The Office for International Relations co-ordinates the admission, administration and support for international students throughout the course of their studies at SETU Waterford.

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SETU Waterfordis recognised as the leading research performer in the institute of technology sector with research activities that are internationally benchmarked, strategic, and economically relevant. Find out about the amazing multi disciplinary research under way

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From virtual events to conferences, talks, public lectures and happenings in on-campus venues SETU Waterford is a hub of activity. Stay up to date with our calendar of upcoming events.

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Overview

Research Integrity encompasses responsible conduct of research, research data management and management of research misconduct. SETU Waterford is committed to ensuring the highest levels of integrity in all aspects of research practice.  The 'European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity' which we endorse specifies four basic principles of good research practice to be observed by all researchers and research organisations. 

• Reliability in ensuring the quality of research reflected in the design, the methodology, the analysis and the use of resources in research activities.

• Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, reporting and communicating research in a transparent, fair, full and unbiased way.

• Respect for colleagues, research participants, society, ecosystems, cultural heritage and the environment.

• Accountability for the research from idea to publication, for its management and organisation, for training, supervision and mentoring, and for its wider impacts.

SETU Waterford is committed to the promotion of an environment which maintains the highest standards of research Integrity. It is university policy that those engaged with research across the university, including all researchers, students, technical, administrative and research support staff and our collaborative partners conduct research according to appropriate ethical, legal and professional obligations and standards.

Our commitments to foster and ensure research integrity include the education and promotion of good research practice. We are committed to working together to reinforce and safeguard research conducted at SETU Waterford and to review this progress regularly. We are also committed to using transparent, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of research misconduct when they arise. The SETU Waterford policy document for the 'Code of Conduct for the Responsible Practice of Research' can be viewed here ».

Research integrity Governance

The Research Integrity Officer is the person nominated by the university to receive allegations of research misconduct. The Research Integrity Officer in SETU Waterford is Dr Michelle Foley. The Research Integrity Officer can be contacted by e-mailing [email protected]

Reporting research misconduct

Allegations of research misconduct, from within and outside SETU Waterford, should be sent to the Research Integrity Officer at the email address [email protected]

The allegation must normally be made in a formal written submission supported by available evidence. Research misconduct can occur with different levels of seriousness and there may be some concern that reporting research misconduct could impact on the complainant. All claims of research misconduct are treated in the strictest of confidence. Additional guidance or concerns on matters of research integrity or research misconduct should be direct to the Research Integrity Officer.

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What is Research Misconduct?

Fabrication of data: making up results and recording or reporting them when they are known to be false.

Falsification of data: manipulating research, materials, equipment or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.

Plagiarism: the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit, including those obtained through confidential review of others' research proposals and manuscripts (as defined in the National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland, 2019).

Selectively excluding data from analysis and deliberate misinterpreting data to obtain desired results, including inappropriate use of statistical methods also constitutes misconduct.  Doctoring images in publications or producing false data or results under pressure from a sponsor or a collaborator is also a very serious matter.

Framework to Enhance Research Integrity in Research Collaborations

A new document, for the Framework to Enhance Research Integrity in Research Collaborations, is designed to help researchers reinforce a culture of responsible conduct of research (research integrity) in their research collaborations, so they can, as far as possible, avoid incidences of serious research misconduct and unacceptable research practices occurring during the collaborative work. The IUA and THEA developed this document in the awareness that collaboration is central to research and innovation, and that increasingly, researchers work together and with a wide range of external stakeholders to deliver outcomes that expand the boundaries of human knowledge and have the potential to deliver real benefits for today’s rapidly developing society. 

A copy of the document can be accessed online. 

Unacceptable research practice

While fabrication, falsification and plagiarism are very serious issues, other poor research practices may lead to questions around the integrity of research and impact on the reputation of the researcher, the research team or the university.  A combination of poor practice and repeated issues in maintaining data integrity may constitute research misconduct.  

The practices include the following and are not confined to:

Research procedures; Misconduct relating to research procedures may include harmful or dangerous research methods, poor research design including experimental and computational errors.  Other poor research procedures include the violation of human subject protocols and/or failure to protect human subjects from harm and the abuse or mistreatment of laboratory animals.

Data-related practices; This includes poor practices in preserving the primary data for the specified period, poor data management including the storage and sharing of research data and failure to destroy data timely or appropriately. Withholding data from the scientific community also constitutes data related misconduct. 

Publication-related practices; This includes the claiming of undeserved authorship, denying authorship to contributors, including authors without permission and artificially proliferating publications. Failure to correct the publication record is also research misconduct. 

Personal behaviours; This includes significant deficiencies in supervision of the next generation of researchers and scholars, inappropriate personal behaviour in any form, harassment or insensitivity to social or cultural norms.

Financial and other misconduct; Misconduct may result from the non-disclosure of conflicts of interest, peer review abuse, misrepresenting credentials or publication record, misuse or research funds and/or for personal gain or making up a false, malicious or unsubstantiated misconduct allegations. 

Research Integrity Training

SETU Waterford is part of a National consortium providing online access to Research Integrity Training modules through the UK training provider Epigeum. There are 8 online interactive module featuring two core modules and 5 specialist modules. Each module is independent and certified.   

Core Modules

  • Good Research Conduct (Core Module 1)
  • Irresponsible Research Practices (Core Module 2)
  • Planning Your Research
  • Managing and Recording Your Research
  • Data Selection, Analysis and Presentation
  • Scholarly Publication
  • Professional Responsibilities
  • Communication, Social Responsibility and Impact

We generally advise that Core modules 1 and 2 are conducted as a basic minimum by those with some prior research integrity training such as experienced Principal Investigators and those with greater than 3 years of full-time postgraduate research experience. The standard programme is recommended for all postgraduate and PhD students, early-career researchers, those with limited research experience of less than 3 years’ postgraduate and those who have not conducted any research integrity training in the past. We also recommend research integrity training for all research supervisors, research collaborators, research administrators and managers. Research integrity training forms part of a Universal Pathways module on Research Integrity and Ethics and is a compulsory 5 ECTS credit module for all taught PhD programmes since 2018.

Research Integrity Training versions

Training is tailored to suit specific research interests and fields including Biomedical Sciences, Natural and Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Social and Behavioural Sciences and Arts and Humanities.  When prompted preselection can be made to suit the desired area of interest.

This course makes references to Irish legislation and policies and is relevant to the Irish legislative environment.  There are a number of short specialist courses that can be accessed in addition to core modules. This provides additional training for those working in specialist fields. 

Specialist modules

  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Research Involving Human Participants
  • The Care and Use of Animals in Research
  • Intellectual Property
  • Export Controls

 

Research Integrity training as a requirement for research funding

Irish and European Funding Agencies have indicated that completion of research integrity training will become an eligibility condition to hold an award and when applying for future funding.  Research Integrity promotional plans are a requirement in the application process for some European grants.  Research Integrity training is also a requirement when applying for Institutional ethical approval.

To register your interest in availing of Research Integrity Training, please complete the form via this link »

SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City,
Co. Waterford, Ireland
Eircode: X91 K0EK

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T: +353 0818 121212 E: [email protected]

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