Induction Seminar on Research and Research Integrity

Pertinent issues on research at HKU, most importantly those on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), were the focus of this seminar, the latest in HKU’s ongoing RCR series.

As both an induction session for new staff and an RCR workshop, the seminar on November 26, 2011 stressed not only the importance of research but also the imperative to conduct it responsibly.

"In generating knowledge and seeking the truth, researchers and academics have the trust of the community, and we therefore have to do research in the correct way," Professor Frederick Leung, Director of Education and Development for Research Integrity, said in his opening remarks.

Professor Roland Chin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, addressed the importance of identifying and managing various types of conflict of interest. Questionable research practices—including plagiarism, falsification or fabrication, and authorship issues—were highlighted by Professor Y.L Lau, Associate Dean (Research), Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine.   

Parallel sessions on ethics and human research subjects were held for colleagues from clinical and non-clinical faculties, led respectively by Professor Y.F Cheung (Ex-officio Member of the Institutional Review Board of the HKU/Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster (IRB)) and Professor John Bacon-Shone (Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee for Non-Clinical Faculties).

"Research integrity is a useful and practical topic," one participant said, "especially for me on how to deal with survey subjects and also the different types of plagiarism."  Another participant commented that areas such as potential conflict of interest and authorship issues are of particular relevance, and felt that communication plays an important role in addressing these aspects. 

The second part of the seminar looked more broadly at research at HKU, with an overview on research vision, environment and support provided by Professor Paul Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research). Knowledge exchange was explored by Professor Bacon-Shone, while Professor Paul Cheung—director of the Technology Transfer Office—looked at knowledge transfer, applied research and intellectual property.

To view the respective presentations, please visit the RCR Information page.