Ethics, Research Ethics and Integrity
At Bangor University, one of our guiding principles is we act with honesty and transparency and will seek to collaborate in all we do. As part of this we will facilitate intellectual growth through academic freedom, creative expression and communication of truth, knowledge, social and moral development.
The University’s annual statement on research integrity can be found on this link.
Universities UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity
The University recognises the importance of maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and therefore complies with the Universities UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity. This concordat seeks to provide a comprehensive national framework for good research conduct and its governance.
As supporters of the concordat to support research integrity, we are 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 University's annual statement on research integrity can be found on this link.
Academic Integrity in Research Code of Practice
The University’s principal vehicle for managing academic compliance is its Academic Integrity Procedure.
The Concordat requires that several key role holders are named in any local policies or codes of practice. At Bangor these named individuals are:
Named Person: Gwenan Hine - University Secretary
Alternate, to act in the absence of the Named Person: Colin Ridyard - Senior Research Governance and Policy Officer
Personnel Department Nominated Individual: Tracy Hibbert – Director of Human Resources
Finance Nominated Individual: Carl Shipton – Deputy Director (Finance) – Finance Office
Research Ethics Policy
In addition to managing research integrity issues the University also has formal management structures, processes and procedures relating to other ethical issues in the research domain.
These are laid out in the University’s Research Ethics Policy which relates to such matters as Human Participants, Human Tissue, Children and Vulnerable Adults, Animal Ethics etc.
Bangor University is committed to maintaining high ethical standards in all aspects of teaching, learning and research.
For further information on ethics, please contact Dr Colin Ridyard, Senior Research Governance and Policy Officer: mhsa08@bangor.ac.uk
Research Ethics Policy, Ethical Review Process, Ethical Policy Framework, Procedure for Approval and Registration of Sensitive Research Projects can be found on the Governing Documents and University Policies page.
Training
Bangor University staff and PGR students (MRES, PhD, Professional Doctorate) at Bangor University now have free access to research ethics and research integrity online training provided by one of the UK's leading providers, Epigeum.
You can register here using the token c4dd46ce. Please note: This material is provided by Oxford University Press for a trial period until June 2025 and is currently only available in English. However, discussions are ongoing with the Company and universities across Wales to make it available bilingually.
The course itself offers comprehensive coverage of the following topics:
Research Ethics:
Ethical decision making; Underpinning values for ethical research; Ethical concerns associated with different forms of research; and Ethical concerns associated with different research methods and activities
Research Ethics in Practice:
Working with human participants; Understanding research ethics approval; Working ethically in challenging circumstances; and Working ethically in a global environment
Research Integrity:
Good research conduct; Irresponsible research practices; Planning your research; Managing and recording your research; Data selection, analysis and presentation; Scholarly publication; Professional responsibilities; and Communication, social responsibility and impact
Other research Integrity modules also cover:
Conflicts of interest; Research involving human participants; The care and use of animals in research; Intellectual property; and Export controls