	Introduction

	Application and enrolment

	Fees and scholarships

	Policies and administration

	Intellectual Property

	Conduct of research

	Preparing a thesis

	Examination of a thesis

	Student support

	Library

	Faculty information

Conduct of research

Policy on research practice

The University aims to provide a research environment that will promote a high standard of professional conduct of its researchers, and a culture of research practice that is ethical, competent, safe and accountable.

Research within the University must be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice, with relevant legislation and guidelines, with the University's Policy on Research Practice and with other University policies, guidelines and procedures on research matters. The University's Policy on Research Practice addresses the following specific aspects of the operation of research within the University, in compliance with the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice:

research practice within the University;
requirements for maintaining a safe and ethical research environment;
conduct of research under commercial and contractual arrangements;
maintenance of records and retention and storage of research data;
confidentiality provisions relating to research;
publication and authorship;
conduct of research by students;
conflict of interest;
handling of research misconduct and fraud.

The University's Policy on Research Practice is available via the web at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/research/resprac.htm

The Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice are available via the web at: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/policy/researchprac.htm

Ethics and Biosafety in Research

Flinders requires all staff and students to ensure that experiments involving live subjects - human and animal - are worthwhile and likely to contribute to new knowledge, that the experiments are conducted and supervised appropriately, and that the rights of the experimental subjects are protected. Research involving the use of Genetically Modified Organisms, carcinogenic substances, infectious materials (including human tissue samples) and ionising radiation (including radioactive substances) is also subject to stringent health and safety requirements. Research which does not meet the most rigorous ethical, health and safety requirements cannot be undertaken at Flinders University.

Flinders has statutory obligations to preserve an ethical and safe framework for experimentation. Oversight of research ethics and safety as Flinders is carried out in conjunction with the Flinders Medical Centre, involving three Ethics Committees and a Bio-Safety Committee. The role of each Committee is to monitor and approve ethics clearances as they relate to specific types of research undertaken at either Flinders University or the Flinders Medical Centre (FMC). Research higher degree students who wish to undertake research involving human or animal subjects, or which has biosafety implications, must obtain approval from the relevant committee before commencing the experiments.

Further information about the committees and application forms can be found at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/research/Office/ethics

The Biosafety Manual can be downloaded at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/research/Office/ethics/biosafety.html

If you are intending to conduct research in a South Australian school you are required to have undergone a Police check and have been cleared for entry into schools. A set of procedures has been agreed between the University, the Department of Education and Children's Services, Catholic Education Office and Independent Schools Board. For specific information about these procedures please refer to: http://ethl.flinders.edu.au/education/policechecks/index.php

Resources

In considering an application for admission to research higher degree candidature, the proposed AOU must ensure that it has the space and other facilities to adequately support the candidature and can offer an appropriate academic environment. Candidates should discuss the likely resource requirements with their proposed supervisor at the time of application.

Once research has commenced, the supervisor must be alert to the development of the kind of research that requires expenditures not identified in the original application for admission to candidature, and is responsible for bringing such developments to the attention of the Head of Faculty, and other appropriate bodies.

Any concerns or issues relating to resources should be discussed in the first instance with the supervisor.

Minimum resources for research higher degree students

Flinders University acknowledges that a Research Higher Degree (RHD) student must have access to certain basic resources in order to undertake their research and complete their research training. Furthermore, the University undertakes to make such resources available to RHD students as part of its commitment to providing an environment conducive to high-quality and productive research and research training.

The University also recognises that some RHD research projects will require additional resources. In such instances, a guaranteed source of funding for the additional resources must be identified before the student commences work. The University provides a variety of internal funding sources, and will endeavour to help identify possible external funding sources. However, such sources are in general competitive, and it is ultimately the responsibility of the supervisor in conjunction with the student to secure sufficient funding to ensure the successful completion of the project.

As a minimum, the following resources will be made available to RHD students enrolled on a full-time basis and study in internal mode:

sole use of a desk or equivalent work space in a shared office, research laboratory, or similar area;
sole use of a lockable two-drawer filing cabinet or equivalent space for securely storing paper-based materials;
sole use of a computer account and login with secure information storage facilities;
shared use of a computer with document preparation, email and internet software;
shared use of a bookcase;
shared use of a telephone for local calls;
basic maintenance support for consumables such as stationery, photocopy, printing, library costs, and other research-related items, either through direct funding or in kind.

Similar resources will be made available to part-time internal students, except that they will have shared use of a desk and pro-rata basic maintenance support. In addition, full-time internal students who undertake a substantial fraction of their work off campus may be required to share use of a desk.

Occupational health and safety issues

The Occupational Health and Safety policy including the responsibilities for all staff, students and visitors can be seen at the OH&S site at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ohsw/

Occupational Health and Safety designated work groups exist in each faculty, in the library and in central administration. Each designated work group has an elected health and safety representative. A list of all Occupational Health and Safety Representatives and Deputy Representatives is found at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ohsw/contacts.html

Australian Standards
Australian Standards set the minimum standard for a wide range of occupational health and safety issues. All science-related laboratories should have available for reference a full set of AS 2243 Safety in Laboratories.

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control
A system for hazard identification, risk assessment and control should be in place in all areas. Hazards must be reported to your supervisor or to local administration.

Laboratory Safety
All laboratories are required to have a set of Laboratory Safety Procedures. In addition, all laboratories must have access to a copy of the CCH Laboratory Manual.

Injuries and Illness
If a student becomes ill or is injured whilst at University they may seek treatment from the Student Health Service located in the Student Centre. The medical practitioners operate a Bulk Billing Medibank service.

All staff members of the University, including part-time teachers and demonstrators, who incur a work-related illness or injury during the time they are working may be eligible to claim for workers compensation. Check with the Occupational Health and Safety Unit for more details.

There are first aiders in each building; check the building Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Noticeboard or the list on the door of the First Aid Room in your building for contact details or go to: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ohsw/contacts.html

Radiation Protection
Students working with radiation and/or radioactive materials will need to register with the Radiation Safety Officer as a radiation worker. Students will be advised on radiation protection procedures and issued with a personal monitoring device if necessary. Depending on the task being carried out and the degree of supervision research students may be required to apply for a Licence to Handle Radioactive Substances or Operate Irradiating Apparatus.

Each Radiation Laboratory must have Radiation Protection procedures in place. Students should familiarise themselves with these procedures and check with the Area Radiation Safety Officer if there are any queries. Web site at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ohsw/radiation/rad_safety.html

Reporting of accidents and incidents
All accidents and incidents must be reported to the OHS Unit. Accident/Incident Report Cards are located in a box near the OHS Noticeboard in each Common Room. If unable to find the box, check with the faculty office or supervisor. Near miss accidents should be reported in the same way.

Academic integrity

The University's Policy on Academic Integrity contains specific policies and procedures for dealing with breaches of academic integrity by research higher degree students.

This policy is published in the Student Related Policies and Procedures Manual at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/student/assessment1.htm

Confidentiality of data

Particularly in the social sciences, humanities and health fields, research workers must obtain the consent of individuals to gather and record data concerning them. Those who have made the research possible must be protected from inconvenience or embarrassment through the release of personal information.

The confidentiality of individual records must be protected during and after the research, and anonymity must be preserved in the publication of results. Students must not use such information for their own personal advantage or for that of a third party. When data are stored in computers, arrangements must be made to prevent unauthorised access to the files.

Retention of data

The University requires that all data be recorded in a durable and appropriately referenced form. Original data must be retained in the AOU or research unit in which the data were generated. Data on which publications are or will be based, must be retained or their location recorded. Students will be asked in their Annual Review of Progress reports whether storage of their data complies with the Joint NHMRC/AVCC Statement and Guidelines on Research Practice - see http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/policy/researchprac.htm

These guidelines are concerned with ensuring not only the maintenance of high ethical standards, but validity and accuracy in the collection and reporting of data. It is a broad issue of ensuring that research results and methods are accessible to scrutiny by colleagues within the institution and, through appropriate publication, by the profession at large. It is intended that these guidelines should apply not only to research in experimental sciences, but to research in other branches of social sciences and humanities.

Data may include, but is not limited to:

experimental data;
interview tapes/transcripts;
questionnaires;
electronic data and data from limited access databases.

Data means not only primary data gathered in an experiment, field trip, or interview, but also electronic data and data from limited-access databases. In this case, where it is not possible to 'hold' the data, the way in which the data were called up from a database must be recorded so that the same data can be retrieved by someone else.

Intellectual property, confidentiality agreements and contractual agreements

Intellectual property has many facets including the following areas of particular relevance to research: copyright, patents, authorship, and managing confidentiality within a research project.

The University acknowledges that ownership of intellectual property developed by a student in the course of his or her studies at the University rests in the originator on creation, unless a student explicitly assigns his or her intellectual property rights to another person or an organisation.

A number of the University's postgraduate research students are working in collaboration with an industry partner, often with their stipend and/or research maintenance and facilities provided by the industry partner.

The industry partner may request, as a condition of providing research funding assignment of intellectual property or a confidentiality agreement. A confidentiality agreement may require that results from the research remain confidential for a period of time after the research has finished, so that they can exploit related commercial developments. Such restrictions may apply to the higher degree thesis, to publication through papers and to presentations in other forms (such as seminars).

For some students, unavailability of their research results for public dissemination, either in publications, or through seminars, may become a significant impediment to their future career prospects.

Research students will be made aware of the University's policy relating to intellectual property before embarking on the research project. The policy will be made available to candidates at the time of enrolment and is included as Appendix E.

Where a research project involves assignment of intellectual property of a confidentiality agreement, research students will be counselled by the University prior to any agreement being signed by the student. Students will be advised of the consequences of restricted access to their research results, particularly in relation to research publications, seminars and activities associated with future applications for employment or research grants, and about the advisability of seeking professional advice. At the counselling session, the student may be accompanied by an independent person.

June 07