What does 'responsible conduct of research' (RCR) encompass?

The term 'responsible conduct of research' (RCR) primarily encompasses ethical standards and practices for researchers. RCR refers to the crucial principles and values that guide researchers in their work, ensuring integrity, accountability, and transparency throughout the research process. This includes adherence to ethical guidelines when designing studies, conducting experiments, reporting data, and publishing findings.

Responsible conduct covers a wide range of topics such as avoiding plagiarism and fabrication of data, ensuring proper treatment of human and animal subjects, maintaining confidentiality, and accurately attributing contributions among collaborators. These practices are fundamental to fostering trust in the research community and ensuring that the outcomes of research contribute positively to society.

The other options, while relevant in different contexts of research, do not capture the full scope of what RCR entails. Funding allocation and project management focus more on the logistical and financial aspects rather than ethical conduct. Collaboration with industry partners can be part of research but is not inherent to its responsible conduct. Public dissemination of research results, while important, is just one aspect of the overarching ethical responsibilities researchers have throughout their studies. Thus, the definition of RCR is best represented by ethical standards and practices for researchers.