4. Comments and quality assurance of the product – transparency and open declaration
Beneath you as a researcher can get answers to questions about comments and quality assurance of the product.
In any collaboration with external parties, the arm's length principle means that you have to make sure that you have the freedom of research to conduct the project with the contributions the external party wishes to include. There must be no doubt that your research and communication are independent of any decisive influence from external parties, and that you as a researcher always have the final word. Transparency and open declaration in the process are crucial: write what you and the external party have done every time.
Can an external party comment on a product?
(copy 2)
Yes, and this must be agreed in the contract in advance. The external party may only suggest clarifications or explanations of the content and conclusions of the draft, and comments on any misunderstandings in relation managing the basis made available for the project by the external party. Comments from external party must be written and kept on the project file. You should note your own thoughts on the external comments, and then store your memo on the project file as well. Make sure that you maintain your research integrity when you deal with the comments.
Who can write about the different parts of the product?
(copy 3)
The general rule for authorship is described in the AU policy for research integrity (see link at the end of this document). To qualify as an author, the contribution to the product must contain as a minimum:
- Substantial contributions to the conception or design, data collection, analysis or interpretation of data.
- Substantial contributions to the drafting of the publication. Authors must approve the final research publication, and AU expects anyone who accepts authorship also to assume responsibility for the academic integrity of the overall work.
As a general rule, there should be no joint authorship between AU researchers and external parties on products published by AU. It must be agreed in advance whether and for what reason external parties can be co-authors or contributors. If there are any contributions in the form of data from the external party, this must be clearly stated in the product as well as how this data has been included. The product must also state if and how external parties have contributed in any other way to the project. If an external party is involved as the author of a chapter, the chapter should clearly show what the external party has authored.
How do I document an external party's comments on the product?
(copy 4)
An appendix with the comments from the external party, and the researcher's opinion on these comments, should be kept on the project file. It is important to ensure your academic integrity. Correspondence should be filed, and the first part of the product should describe how the external party has contributed.
What are my options for academic quality assurance of the product?
(copy 6)
- Academic quality assurance in accordance with the principles of peer review of scientific publications, but primarily using reviewers from within AU. The person who completed the academic quality assurance should be stated in the publication. Remember that authors and co-authors cannot be responsible for the peer review.
- Academic quality assurance in accordance with the definition for peer review of scientific publications using external reviewers from research institutions with competencies within the field of study. The person who completed quality assurance should be stated on the publication. This procedure is typically used in connection with large projects completed in English.
- Academic quality assurance in the form of an actual peer review. Peer review is primarily used in connection with publication in a scientific journal.)
