Amherst College
AC-8: Responsible Research and Innovation

8.1 Published ethical code of conduct for research

An institution earns 1 point when it has a published ethical code of conduct for research in document form or on a publicly accessible website. 

Measurement

Report on current policies and protocols. 

8.2 Recognition of integrated, community-based, and extra-academic research

An institution earns 3 points when it has published promotion or tenure guidelines or policies that cover all research-producing academic divisions and give explicit positive recognition to at least two of the following: A) integrated research, B) community-based research, and C) research impact or reach outside of academic journals. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report on current guidelines and policies. Guidelines and policies that passively recognize integrated, community-based, and/or extra-academic research (e.g., by not specifically excluding them) do not qualify in the absence of explicit positive recognition.

Guidelines and policies adopted by entities of which the institution is part (e.g., government or university system) qualify as long as the policies apply to and are followed by the institution and its academic divisions. In the absence of institution-wide guidelines or policies, an institution may only claim points for those academic divisions that have adopted their own guidelines or policies.

8.3 Inter-campus collaboration for responsible research and innovation

An institution earns 1 point when it participates in one or more inter-campus research collaboratives or networks that explicitly aim to promote responsible research and innovation (RRI). 

Measurement

Report on current activities. 

To qualify, a collaborative or network must have an explicit mission to promote responsible research and innovation or else actively address public engagement in research and innovation, the accessibility of scientific results, the take up of gender and ethics in research and innovation content and process, and/or formal and informal science education.

8.4 Support for open access publishing

An institution earns 2 points when it facilitates open access publishing in at least three of the following ways: A) institutional repository hosting, B) published policies that require open access publishing and cover all research-producing academic divisions, C) an open access article processing charge (APC) fund, and D) transformative open access agreements. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the institution’s programs. 

Policies and programs adopted by entities of which the institution is part (e.g., government or university system) qualify as long as the policies apply to and are followed by the institution. 

To qualify, an open access repository may be managed by the institution or the institution may participate in a consortial and/or outsourced open access repository.

Open access policies may allow for publisher embargoes and/or provide a waiver option that allows authors to opt-out of the open access license/program for individual articles. Policies and commitments that are strictly voluntary (i.e., opt-in) do not qualify. Likewise, open access policies published by external funding agencies do not qualify in the absence of a formal institutional policy. In the absence of institution-wide open access policies, an institution may only claim points for those academic divisions that have adopted their own policies.

To qualify, an APC fund must include specified criteria and an application process. Discounts and ad hoc funding for APCs do not qualify in the absence of a formal ongoing program.

Applicable to institutions where research is considered in academic staff promotion or tenure decisions as a matter of policy or standard practice.