• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Section 5 - Procedure
• Conflict of interest
• Data management
• Publication and authorship
• Prescription of texts, software and other course-related materials
• Assessment
• Ethical conduct of research
• Breaches
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure is effective from 4 October 2023.

Section 2 - Purpose

(2) This Procedure sets out how the University will maintain academic integrity and deal with associated issues.

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This Procedure applies to Academic staff in the conduct of teaching, research and related activities.

Section 4 - Policy

(4) This Procedure is pursuant to the Academic Integrity policy.

Section 5 - Procedure

(5) Academic staff will participate in only those research and teaching activities, including the design of course and teaching materials, for which they are appropriately qualified.

(6) Academic staff will not include inaccurate or misleading information, or fail to provide information relating to a research or teaching activity, in curriculum vitaes, grant applications, job applications or public statements.

(7) Academic staff will conduct their research activities in accordance with the Research Conduct Policy and in compliance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018. The Research Ethics and Integrity (REI) website also refers.

Conflict of interest

(8) Academic staff must disclose any conflict of interest in accordance with the Declaration of Interest procedure.

(9) Academic staff engaged in teaching activities will comply with directives made by the Head of School/Department or Faculty Executive Dean in relation to a conflict of interest relating to the Academic staff member's teaching activities.

(10) Academic staff engaged in research activities must immediately inform the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation where a conflict of interest in relation to their research activities exists in accordance with the Declaration of Interest procedure.

Data management

(11) Academic staff will manage student information, records and research data in accordance with the Privacy policy.

(12) The gathering, storing and retention of research data must be carried out as prescribed by the Research Conduct Policy and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018.

Publication and authorship

(13) Academic staff will acknowledge authorship of ideas in all teaching materials in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968(Cth) and the Copyright procedure.

(14) In accordance with the Copyright procedure, the University owns copyright in teaching materials created by Academic staff and any other Intellectual Property in those materials.

(15) As prescribed by the Research Conduct Policy and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018, all persons who have made a substantial contribution to research output (including Academic staff, students, research assistants and technical staff) must be included as an author on any publication arising from research.

Prescription of texts, software and other course-related materials

(16) Academic staff will prescribe or require the use of only those texts, software or other course-related materials that are published by an independent and recognised publisher, or are published through Deakin University.

(17) Self-published materials must not be used as prescribed or required materials.

(18) Research working papers must only be used as reference materials with proper recognition of the status of the papers. These must be included in the School's working paper series.

(19) The Faculty Board will consider any proposal for the prescription of texts, software or other course-related materials in which a staff member or other University personnel has a financial or other interest. If the Faculty Board is satisfied that such prescription is appropriate, it may approve their use, unless the Principal Officer of the Faculty has an interest in the matter, in which case the Faculty Board should make and convey a recommendation to the Vice-Chancellor or nominee for approval. As part of any such recommendation, Faculty Boards must consider and record their reasons for the prescription, along with the following information:

1. the title, year of publication and publisher
2. other relevant texts, software or other course materials available in the market
3. reasons for use
4. the expected market price
5. the name and position of the staff member(s) who have a financial or personal interest in the publication.

Assessment

(20) Academic staff engaged in teaching and supervision will ensure that assessment practices comply with the requirements of the Assessment (Higher Education Courses) Procedure and the Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Assessment procedure.

Ethical conduct of research

(21) Academic staff will participate in research work only where it conforms to accepted ethical and academic standards as prescribed by the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, 2018 (see also the Research Conduct Policy).

(22) Research involving humans will be carried out in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (NHMRC, 2007).

(23) Research involving animals will be carried out in accordance with the 'General Principles for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes' as set out in the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 8th edition (2013).

(24) Academic staff must seek approval for research involving human or animal subjects as prescribed by the Research Conduct Policy. See also Deakin Research website.

Breaches

(25) Complaints with respect to alleged breaches of Academic Integrity must be made in accordance with the clause 68 of the Deakin University Enterprise Agreement 2023 or the Student Complaints Resolution procedure.

(26) A complainant seeking the statutory protections afforded by the Protected Disclosures Act 2012 (Vic) must take their complaint to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). The University’s obligations in respect of a public interest disclosure are set out in the Public Interest Disclosures procedure.

(27) The Chief People and Culture Officer will notify the Director, Academic Governance and Standards where outcomes of breaches of academic integrity have been substantiated. The Director, Academic Governance and Standards will ensure that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is notified where required under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.

Section 6 - Definitions

(28) For the purpose of this Procedure:

1. Academic Integrity: as defined in the Academic Integrity policy.
2. Unit Team: the lecturers and tutors of the unit from each campus. The Unit Team determines the content, assembles the study materials and sets the assessment tasks for the unit.