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Research integrity

UniSQ is committed to creating and maintaining a research culture that enables responsible conduct and encourages integrity through mentoring, education and clear research policies.  

The culture at UniSQ is fundamentally important to support honest, ethical and conscientious research. Understanding the University’s, mission, vision, values, organisation and governance is essential for all UniSQ researchers.

Researchers become familiar with these through:

The development of personal skills such as those related to time management, attention to detail, resilience, critical thinking and working effectively with others can also support research integrity. The University’s Researcher Development and Training SharePoint site and People Portfolio Capability Development SharePoint site offer support and development opportunities for researchers. The Graduate Research School also offered tailored support for HDR students undertaking research training.   

Open dialogue with colleagues, peers and Research Integrity Advisors is another important way researchers can develop their understanding of responsible research conduct and develop strategies to avoid situations where this is compromised.

Research Integrity Advisors also play an important role in building the culture of research integrity and ethics at the University. Our Research Integrity Advisors are here to help and provide advice on responsible research conduct.

An understanding of the principles of responsible research is fundamental for researchers to meet their obligations. Guidance on a number of areas of research practice are included in the tabs below.

The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018 is a joint publication of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Universities Australia (UA). The Code focuses on eight core principles of responsible research conduct:
  1. Integrity
  2. Rigour
  3. Transparency
  4. Fairness
  5. Respect
  6. Recognition
  7. Accountability
  8. Promotion

It represents the core behaviours that characterise responsible conduct of research and outlines the principles everyone undertaking research are expected to uphold at all times. It also has specific responsibilities for institutions and individual researchers. The University has produced a Research Code of Conduct Policy and related procedures to interpret the Code to a UniSQ context.

Potential breaches of the Code are taken seriously and the process for reporting, assessing and investigating breaches is outlines in the University's Research Code of Conduct Management of Potential Breaches Procedure. 

Individuals who have a concern about the conduct of research at UniSQ may wish to speak with a Research Integrity Advisor in the first instance. Formal complaints can be made by emailing ResearchIntegrity@unisq.edu.au

Complainants should attempt to provide all information pertinent to the matter in the initial research conduct complaint. At a minimum, a research conduct complaint should contain:

  • the name and contact details of the complainant;
  • the name of the individual(s) who they allege has/have committed a breach;
  • details relating to individual(s) that the complainant has discussed the matter with;
  • information indicating how the complainant or others are affected by the matter (if relevant);
  • the nature and details of the potential breach;
  • when the potential breach occurred;
  • if applicable, indicate any immediate concerns related to human, animal or environmental safety; and
  • an acknowledgement that as the complainant, you will keep the matter confidential while it is being assessed.

Research conduct complaints may be made on an anonymous basis, however complainants should know that the capacity to deal with anonymous research conduct complaints is restricted by the complainant's desire to remain anonymous. Research conduct complaints of this type do not allow for the investigation of specific concerns.

UniSQ recognises the need for researchers to be informed on issues relating to research integrity and the conduct of responsible research, including research ethics matters. These issues are vital to the future of UniSQ's research outcomes and success.  

All work involving animals, cadaver animals, and cadaveric animal tissue must be assessed and appropriate approvals obtained before commencing. For more information please visit the animal ethics webpage.

Before commencing research, researchers (including undergraduate and postgraduate students) who wish to undertake projects involving human participants must obtain approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee. No research being conducted with or about people, or their data or tissue can take place without ethics clearance. For more information please visit the human ethics webpage.

For information regarding the requirements for research involving biological materials please visit Biosafety Central.

The University is subject to a number of Acts and Regulations which contain trade controls:   

  • Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 (Cth)
  • Customs Act 1901 (Cth)
  • Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 (Cth)
  • Defence Trade Controls Act 2012 (Cth)
  • Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act 1995 (Cth)  
  • Export Administration Regulations (EAR) USA
  • International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) USA

Autonomous Sanctions  

Australian sanction laws implement United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions regimes and Australian autonomous sanctions regimes.

Autonomous sanctions may impact on the following activities at UniSQ:  

  • Prospective students undertaking a significant research component; staff and visiting academics from countries subject to international sanctions  

  • Formal or informal research collaborations (whether funded or not) with academics or organisations if the academics or organisations are not Australian citizens and are subject to international sanctions;  

  • Technology or material transfers to sanctioned countries or individuals; and  

  • Consultancies or private practice for, or with, sanctioned countries or individuals.  

The University engages with supervisors to ensure that sanctions are considered and uses a form to assist with the risk assessment (Sanctions Compliance Form, DOC 1.3MB)  

Defence Export Controls  

Australia’s Defence Export Control Office (DECO) is responsible to the Minister of Defence for regulating the export, transfer and brokering of defence and strategic goods and technologies to any place outside of Australia.  

The Customs Act 1901 regulates the tangible export of goods or technology and the Defence Trade Controls Act (Cwth) 2012 (the Act) controls the intangible export, brokering and publication of technologies. The Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament and has been in affect from 1 April 2016.  

Defence and Strategic Goods List  

If your research plans or data will be shared or sent overseas, or used in an overseas conference and are included in the Defence andStrategic Good list (DSGL), you may require a permit to be authorised by the Defence Export Control Office (DECO). The DSGL is comprised of two parts:  

  • Part 1 lists munitions (defence and related goods)  

  • Part 2 lists dual-use items; that is, items that may be used for commercial purposes, but may be used in military systems or for the development of weapon of mass destruction purposes.  

Goods and technology included in the DSGL are restricted under the Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention and Proliferation) Act 1995 and the Customs Act 1901 and may not be exported from Australia unless a licence or permission has been granted by the Minister for Defence.  

Online DSGL Tool  

The DSGL online tool will help you identify if your research materials or activities will require a permit. The tool consists of two parts, the Activity Questionnaire and the DSGL Search Tool.  

A permit from Defence Export Controls Office (DECO) is only required when an export, supply, brokering or publishing activity is controlled and the goods, software or technology are listed in the DSGL. It is recommended that if you are new to export controls and are unsure if your activity will be controlled, you should complete the Activity Questionnaire first.  

If after using the Online DSGL Tool, you are unable to determine if your item is controlled in the DSGL, you will need to submit an application to DECO for assessment. The Office of Research will work with you in submitting your application to ensure you are registered and any required licences are obtained. It is important to note that it is the individual, not the institution, who is accountable under the Act for non-compliance.  

Applications can take up to 15 working days to assess with more complex applications taking considerably longer. It is important to include this process early in your research planning.  

Quick reference tools and resources  

ITAR/EAR  

Export Administration Regulations (EAR) USA or International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) USA may apply to equipment or software used at UniSQ.  

The Department of Defence outlines the requirements around these Regulations:  

  • If you deal with US sourced items or services listed on the US Munitions List (USML) or you wish to permanently or temporarily export or import them to or from the US, the ITAR should be consulted in the first instance.  

  • Items and services that may have both commercial and military use are listed on the US Commerce Control List (CCL), regulated by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). If you deal with US sourced items or services listed on the CCL or you wish to permanently or temporarily export or import them to or from the US the EAR should be consulted in the first instance.  

Further information  

For enquiries please contact Defence Export Controls or our Research Integrity Office.

Contact us

Manager Research Integrity and Ethics: Dr Amanda Fernie

Email: researchintegrity@unisq.edu.au

Contact: Research Integrity Advisors