When something from your personal or private life influences — or appears to influence — your duties as a researcher, you may have entered a conflict of interest.
Having a conflict of interest does not imply that anyone has necessarily done anything wrong; however, researchers should identify, disclose and manage conflicts in a timely, open, forthright, constructive and accountable manner to preserve the integrity of the people and processes involved in their research.
Some conflicts of interest are permissible, while others that cannot be appropriately managed are prohibited. Failure to disclose and manage any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest is a form of research misconduct; it erodes the public’s confidence in the ability of researchers to make professional judgments without bias.
Each researcher plays a role in protecting the reputation and maintaining the integrity of their research by mitigating the potential for, or existence of, conflicts of interest.
BEST PRACTICES
Avoid and minimize conflict
Whenever possible, avoid conflicts of interest by removing yourself from any decision-making process that could create a conflict. If removal is not appropriate, you can also recruit a disinterested third party to oversee the decision-making process.
Be transparent about your potential or perceived conflicts
Fully disclosing all potential or existing conflicts of interest helps foster integrity in your research, which in turn, could protect you from allegations of misconduct. The university or your department may be able to offer support to help manage and mitigate against conflicts of interest when you declare them, thereby supporting the continuity of your research as well as your reputation.
Regularly review for any potential conflicts
Be mindful of your relationships and affiliations as you take on new or expanded roles and responsibilities in your personal and professional capacities and consider if any of them may impact your role as a researcher or introduce conflicts. By reviewing these affiliations regularly, you can identify conflicts promptly and maintain an updated Conflict of Interest Declaration, which in turn helps you to protect against unintentional violations of scholarly integrity.
CHALLENGES
RESOURCES
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