Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research

Abstract

The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018) establishes a framework for responsible research conduct, providing a foundation for high-quality research, credibility, and community trust in the research endeavor. The Code sets clear ethical guidelines for researchers, focusing on responsible and respectful conduct in research, including the handling of sensitive data. It emphasizes that researchers must seek informed consent from participants before collecting data, ensuring that the consent granted is specific, voluntary, and based on full disclosure. This includes the collection of sensitive data and metadata, particularly in health and social sciences research. The consent process must be transparent and understandable to participants, detailing how their data will be used.

The Code outlines responsibilities for maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of sensitive data, requiring researchers to take appropriate steps to protect participants' identities and personal information. It promotes research oversight through institutional review boards and ethics committees, ensuring that ethical standards are upheld throughout the research process.

Overview

Country	Australia
Start date	2018
Annual Budget	n/a
Responsible organisation(s)	Government agency
Target group(s)	Researchers, research institutions, and ethics review bodies
Policy instrument type	This is a set of guidelines designed to enforce responsible conduct in research

Background

Developed jointly by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC), and Universities Australia, the code is a principles-based document that articulates the broad principles and responsibilities underpinning the conduct of Australian research

Objective(s)

To promote integrity in research by guiding institutions and researchers in responsible research practices.

To ensure that any use of sensitive data is in conformity with the consent granted by participants, as well as applicable privacy regulations, including national and international standards like the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the case of international research.

Public access URL

https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-code-responsible-conduct-research-2018

All tags

• Data governance for trust
• Australia
• 2018
• Government agency
• Established researchers
• National government
• Junior researchers
• Public research institutes
• Strategies, agendas and plans
• Consent for use of personal data

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

© OECD 2025

   Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Attribution – you must cite the work.

Translations – you must cite the original work, identify changes to the original and add the following text: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of original work should be considered valid.

Adaptations – you must cite the original work and add the following text: This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries.

Third-party material – the licence does not apply to third-party material in the work. If using such material, you are responsible for obtaining permission from the third party and for any claims of infringement.

You must not use the OECD logo, visual identity or cover image without express permission or suggest the OECD endorses your use of the work.

Any dispute arising under this licence shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitration Rules 2012. The seat of arbitration shall be Paris (France). The number of arbitrators shall be one.