Prevention of research misconduct, conflicts of interest, and research and education ethics
Our University Structure
Following the establishment of the "Guidelines for Responding to Misconduct in Research Activities" (decided by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on August 26, 2014), Aoyama Gakuin University University has established the "Rules Concerning the Implementation System for Preventing Misconduct in Research Activities at Aoyama Gakuin University" and the "Detailed Regulations Concerning Responding to Misconduct in Research Activities at Aoyama Gakuin University" as an implementation system for preventing misconduct in research activities at the university, and is making efforts to prevent misconduct on a daily basis. In addition, with the aim of further raising awareness of research ethics among researchers and others, a university-wide common authorship policy has been established to raise awareness of appropriate authorship within the university.
Clarifying the responsibility system
■Chief Administrative Officer (President)
This officer will oversee the prevention of misconduct throughout the university and bear ultimate responsibility for it.
■ Chief Administrator (Vice President for General Affairs)
The Chief Administrator has the actual responsibility and authority to oversee the entire University in preventing misconduct in advance.
■ Research ethics education officers (General Manager, graduate school deans, directors of some centers, and Director, The University Administration)
Under the supervision of the Chief Administrator, the Chief Administrator will have actual responsibility and authority for preventing misconduct within the faculties and other organizations of the University that he/she oversees.
■ Department for promoting fraud prevention plans
Research Support Department, under the direction of the Chief Administrator, will plan, implement, and verify the results of specific measures across the University, based on the plan to prevent misconduct.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent research misconduct, we are taking the following steps to foster a sense of discipline among researchers and students (mainly graduate students).
- (1) Making research ethics education mandatory (for faculty, staff and students)
- (2) Distribution of educational pamphlets
Conflict of interest and research and education ethics
Furthermore, with the aim of establishing a management system for preventive measures against issues related to conflicts of interest and acts that violate research and educational ethics at the university, as well as for investigating and responding to incidents when they do occur, we have established the "Aoyama Gakuin University Conflict of Interest and Research and Education Ethics Committee Regulations" and are working to implement them on a daily basis.
Report and consultation service for research misconduct
The following contact points have been set up for reporting allegations and receiving consultations: