Research Ethics and Integrity

The Royal Northern College of Music expects all members of staff and students to observe the highest ethical and professional standards in their research and to embed good practice in every aspect of their work, as outlined in its Ethics Framework and the RNCM Good Research Conduct Policy.

Each member of the RNCM community, staff (including emeritus and visiting staff), students, members of the Board of Governors and other RNCM committees, has a responsibility to act ethically and in accordance with the Nolan Committee’s principles for public life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership. The values of the RNCM, which guide its approach to ethics, are embedded within its Instrument and Articles of Government, Regulations, Codes of Practice and Policies. These encompass well-established ethical policies and procedures relating to its core activities, including research, and are kept under regular review.

The RNCM Good Research Conduct Policy is guided by the UKRI Policy and Guidelines on Governance of Good Research Conduct (2017) and sets out the principles of good research conduct as described in the Concordat for Research Integrity (2019), both of which have been adopted by all member institutions of Conservatoires UK (CUK), including RNCM. These form the standard of practice to which CUK institutions expect their researchers to adhere.

All research involving human participants at RNCM must have ethical approval. Guidance for staff, students and external researchers is based on the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research of the British Educational Research Association, the British Psychological Society Code of Human Research Ethics and Ethics Guidelines for Internet-Mediated Research.

Professor Jane Ginsborg, Associate Director of Research, is the first point of contact for anyone wanting more information on matters of research integrity. Professor Dawn Edwards, Clerk to the Board and Director of Academic Governance, acts as confidential liaison for whistle-blowers or any other person wishing to raise concerns about the integrity of research being conducted under the auspices of RNCM.