CODE OF ETHICS FOR RESEARCH

The College has established a Code of Ethics to check malpractices and plagiarism in Research.

1. Code of Ethics:

The institute has established a Code of Ethics for research, requiring faculty and researchers to adhere to moral and ethical values. The goal is to ensure the dignity of the College by preventing malpractices and plagiarism in research publications, dissertations, and thesis. The College has a basic automation software to prevent and check wrongdoings and plagiarism. The final plagiarism check has to be done through the advanced plagiarism prevention software available in the affiliating Bharathiar University. In addition to the Code of Ethics, the College also follows the norms set by Bharathiar University (https://b-u.ac.in/research-ethics  & https://b-u.ac.in/plagiarism-check). The College is committed to producing and promoting research of the highest quality, free from plagiarism and unethical practices, while promoting academic freedom and innovative thinking. A Publication Ethics Committee (PEC) has been established to assess the level of plagiarism.

The Committee Comprises of

• Principal
• Director, Centre for Research and Development
• Co-Ordinator, IQAC
• HOD of Respective Departments
• Research guides‍

2. OBJECTIVES

Code of Ethics for Research are Set by the College to:
• Describe the ethical framework for how the College’s ethical review process will work.
• To encourage honorable ethical standards in academic research and awards.
• To stop and audit research article, dissertation, and thesis writing errors, wrong doings, and plagiarism.
• To assess the planned research's ethical safeguards.
• To encourage quality research in the pursuit of understanding and truth
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3. SCOPE:

The "Code of Ethics for Research" is outlined in this document and applies to all faculty, research scholars, and students conducting research at our College. It includes all of the procedures used to gather, analyze, process, and disseminate research data as well as other pertinent information, such as surveys, interviews, and the publication of research findings.‍

4. CODE OF ETHICS FOR RESEARCH

The following are ethical values addressed under the “Code of Ethics for Research” set by the College:

1. Academic Candour: Academic honesty is important in all scientific communications; data, techniques, procedures, publication status and results are to be reported. Faculty members, research scholars, and students should act honestly in all these areas. Never falsify or modify data, fool colleagues, funders, or the public.
2. Reliability: The researchers must adhere to their commitments and agreements, behave honorably, and fight for consistency in high-quality decisions and actions.
3. Exercise caution: Research Scholars are required to avoid careless errors and neglect. They must carefully and critically examine their own work as well as the work of their colleagues. They must constantly maintain accurate records of all research-related activities, including literature reviews, research designs, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, as well as manuscript drafts and correspondence with funding organizations or journals.
4. Respect for Intellectual Property (IP) and its Rights: Researchers must uphold copyrights, patents, and other types of IP. Additionally, one should never use another person's unpublished data, techniques, or results without her/his consent. Without plagiarizing the work, provide credit/acknowledgement where it is due for all contributions to the research or individuals.
5. Protect private information, Data privacy is a discipline aimed at safeguarding data from unauthorized access, theft, or loss through effective data management and prevention of unauthorized access.
6. Societal Accountability: Researchers, including faculty and students, must make the necessary efforts to promote social well-being and to prevent or decrease social damages through research, public awareness campaigns, and other forms of promotion, eventually protecting the environment.
7. Competence: The research community is needed to maintain and enhance professional competency and knowledge by ongoing education and learning; additionally, they must take initiatives to advance scientific competence generally by maintaining an interdisciplinary approach.
8. Legitimacy: The researchers should familiarize themselves with institutional rules and regulations as well as governmental policies, IP-related laws, such as those pertaining to cybercrime and IP rights.
9. Animal Care: When utilizing animals in study, educators and scientists should treat them with the proper respect and care by adhering to the necessary laws and regulations. Never should they perform pointless or improperly designed animal studies.
10. Protection of Human Subjects: When using human subjects in research, researchers must minimize risks and difficulties while maximizing benefits; they must also respect people's decency, privacy, and independence; they must take necessary special safety precautions when working with vulnerable populations; and they must make an honest effort to share the benefits and difficulties of their work.

5. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Principal, Heads of Departments, Librarian, and teaching staff are responsible for creating a transparent academic environment that promotes professional and ethical research practices. Research guides are expected to foster a climate of mutual cooperation, promoting open exchange of ideas and skill development. They must ensure appropriate supervision and direction for researchers, based on the nature of the discipline and research mode. STC is committed to providing appropriate direction and supervision for researchers, adhering to Bharathiar University's norms for Doctoral Supervision, which outlines supervisory relationships, progress assessments, and problem-solving procedures..

1. TRAINING: Academic departments should ensure researchers receive proper training in research design, methodology, ethics, equipment use, confidentiality, data management, record keeping, data protection, and respecting third-party intellectual property rights.
2. PUBLICATION PRACTICE AND AUTHORSHIP:  STC promotes high-quality research publication and dissemination, requiring responsible research engagement and awareness of media consequences. Results should be appropriate to academic discipline, and authors must accept responsibility for their contributions and have sufficient research participation.
3. RESEARCH MISCONDUCT: Misconduct in academic research includes fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, deception, and deviations from accepted practices. It includes failure to follow protocol, resulting in unreasonable risk or harm, and collusion. The university demands abhorrence of research misconduct, excluding honest error or differences of opinion.
4. PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is the intentional appropriation of another person's work without proper credit, violating the Principle of Ethics and causing a loss of originality.
5. PRIVACY: Intellectual property rights abuse refers to the intentional exploitation of ideas without proper acknowledgement, disregarding legal norms and the moral rights of authors.
6. ABUSE OF RESEARCH RESOURCES: Failure to observe the terms and conditions of institutionally licensed research resources.
7. PERSONATION: The situation where someone other than the person who has submitted any academic work has prepared (parts of) the work;
8. FABRICATION AND FRAUD: The falsification or invention of qualifications, data, information, or citations in any formal academic exercise.
9. SABOTAGE: Preventing others from completing their work involves stealing, damaging library books, disrupting experiments, or endangering institutional access to licensed research resources.

6. PROCEDURES FOR INVESTIGATION OF RESEARCH MISCONDUCT

1. Academic misconduct complaints can be submitted to the Principal, who will decide if the allegation is serious enough for an investigation by the Ethics Committee. The initiator must provide a written basis for the allegation. The Ethics Committee may conduct a preliminary investigation or a formal inquiry, possibly involving external experts. The Librarian has the right to investigate suspected abuse of institutionally licensed research resources and suspend users from access pending a full investigation. The Librarian must also register a complaint with the Ethics Committee when appropriate.
2. The investigation will examine all relevant documentation, including research data, notebooks, computer files, and other materials. The Ethics Committee Coordinator may invite non-members of the Committee to attend meetings. Interviews will be conducted with the complainant and respondent, as well as other individuals involved in the allegations. Details of the allegations and investigation will be made available only to the Ethics Committee, and all interviewed individuals will be asked to respect the confidentiality of the investigation.
3. The Ethics Committee will create a report detailing the investigation process, information sources, committee findings, respondent's views, and recommendations. The respondent will receive the report and can comment. Comments can be submitted as an addendum. If disciplinary actions are recommended, the Ethics Committee will inform Bharathiar University of the necessary action.

7. THE ETHICS COMMITTEE

STC members, including faculties, researchers, and postgraduate researchers, must adhere to high ethical standards, including data uprightness and adhering to ethical guidelines. They must also avoid academic duplicity and form an Ethics Committee to investigate academic dishonesty. If found guilty, appropriate disciplinary action may be taken. The Plagiarism Curb Committee will authenticate data authenticity, and the plagiarism software has been purchased and installed in the Library and Information Centre to check plagiarism.

8. TASKS OF ETHIC COMMITTEE

1. To offer counsel and direction to the academic community of STC on all issuesrelating to academic research ethics.
2. To provide guidance to the academic council regarding the various academic pursuits at the college's adherence to the "code of ethics in academic research."
3. Advising academics and offering help on ethical matters pertaining to teaching, research, and other academic activities.
4. To inform the academic council of any guidelines that may be necessary in regards to obtaining funding from specific research sponsors.
5. To serve as an inquiry or advisory body for any issue involving conduct and ethics in research.
6. Provide authorities with advice on adhering to the "Code of Ethics in Academic Research" offering advice and academic support to academic on moral issues pertaining to research, teaching, and other academic activities.
7. Serve as a consulting committee for any issue involving research ethics and conduct that is in dispute.
8. Based on inquiries and thorough investigations, to suggest to the University what, if any, action should be taken in response to the identified wrongdoing perpetrated by the people.

9. POLICY ON ETHICAL RESEARCH

Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College (STC) is a renowned College known for its excellence and holistic student development. Despite being associated with Bharathiar University, it became Autonomous in 2009. The college also offers the following Ph.D. and M.Phil. (Full-time and Part-time) Research Programmes:

• Computer Science
• Commerce
• Management
• Mathematics
• English
• Social Work

The Research Ethics Policy is intended to:

• To examine the proposed research's ethical protections
• To protect the rights, welfare, and safety of trial subjects, respondents, and participants.
• To investigate complaints against research guides, and candidates, and appropriate suggestions to ethical committee.

Need for Policy on Ethical Research

The terms "research ethics" and "ethical conduct of research involving human participants or animals" are used interchangeably. These guidelines are intended to guarantee that research is carried out with respect for the rights, dignity, and welfare of the people or animals involved. A crucial component of scientific investigation, research ethics supports the integrity and veracity of study findings. Ethics in research is important for the following reasons:

• Scientific Integrity: Research ethics upholds the integrity and validity of the research process.
• Compliance: Ethical guidelines ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Ethical Decision-Making: Ethics guides researchers in navigating complex ethical dilemmas.
• Collaboration & Reputation: Ethical practices foster collaboration and enhance the reputation of researchers and institutions.
• Credibility & Trust: Ethical practices enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of research findings.

Principles of Ethical Research

Provides guidelines for the responsible conduct of research. In addition, it educates and monitors scientists conducting research to ensure a high ethical standard. STC adopt the following principles in ethical research.

• Honesty: Honestly report data, results, methods and procedures, and publication status. Do not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data.
• Objectivity: Strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review, personnel decisions, grant writing, expert testimony, and other aspects of research.
• Integrity: Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and action.
• Carefulness: Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine your own work and the work of your peers. Keep good records of research activities.
• Openness: Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources. Be open to criticism and new ideas.
• Respect for Intellectual Property: Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data, methods, or results without permission. Give credit where credit is due. Never plagiarize.
• Confidentiality: Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants submitted for publication, personnel records, trade or military secrets, and patient records.
• Responsible Publication: Publish to advance research and scholarship, not to advance just your own career. Avoid wasteful and duplicative publication.
• Responsible Mentoring: Help to educate, mentor, and advise students. Promote their welfare and allow them to make their own decisions.
• Respect for Colleagues: Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.
• Social Responsibility: Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social harms through research, public education, and advocacy.
• Non-Discrimination: Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students based on sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors that are not related to their scientific competence and integrity.
• Competence: Maintain and improve your own professional competence and expertise through lifelong education and learning; take steps to promote competence in science.
• Legality: Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.
• Animal Care: Show proper respect and care for animals when using them in research. Do not conduct unnecessary or poorly designed animal experiments.
• Human Subjects Protection: When conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits; respect human dignity, privacy, and autonomy.