Resource of the Week #99: A Draft Statement on Cross-Boundary Research Integrity

Hello again. I hope that March has started well for you.

This week’s resource was mentioned in the WAME (World Association of Medical Editors) discussion list. It’s a draft of the Montreal Statement on Research Integrity in Cross-Boundary Research Collaborations.

Comments and suggestions regarding the draft will be accepted through March 31. (Instructions for submitting them accompany the statement.) The statement will be issued from the 3rd World Congress on Research Integrity.

Why such a statement? For example, researchers from different countries or fields can differ in culture, legal requirements, funding structures, and more. Therefore special issues can arise in cross-boundary collaborations.

The draft statement lists 20 “responsibilities of individual and institutional partners in cross-boundary research collaborations”. They’re divided into 4 categories:

• overall collaborative responsibilities
• responsibilities in establishing and managing the collaboration
• responsibilities in collaborative relationships
• responsibilities for outcomes of collaborative research

Especially relevant to AuthorAID, some responsibilities regard publication or other dissemination. For example, the draft says, “Collaborating partners should come to agreement at the outset on how publication and other dissemination decisions will be made.”

I encourage you to look at the draft and submit comments or suggestions, if any.

Until the next post—

Barbara