Responsible Research
We expect all Lincoln Institute staff, partners, and contractors to follow our research integrity statement, and conduct work in compliance with the highest ethical, legal, and professional standards in the world of scholarship. We hold regular trainings on research practices to ensure our staff are informed about appropriate expectations and trained to effectively practice them.
Read the Research Integrity StatementWe evaluate research projects based on several dimensions of quality, including:
- Relevance—research is responsive to topics that are timely, central to land policy debates and discussions, and fit well with our thematic areas;
- Policy application—the work produced goes beyond the theoretical to provide practical implications or recommendations useful to the communities we serve;
- Methodological approach—the research design meets high professional standards regarding data collection strategy and analysis approach (whether quantitative or qualitative), and results and inferences made are carefully tested or validated;
- Team qualifications—the people conducting the research are well trained and have specific knowledge or experiences integral to the project; other partners (policymakers, community members, or others) provide complementary expertise essential to completing the work; and
- Ethical considerations—research is designed to generate benefits where and with whom we work, with careful consideration.
Additionally, we expect researchers to adhere to the following principles when engaging in research:
- Transparency—researchers communicate openly with participants and research is disseminated widely;
- Nondiscrimination—selection and treatment of participants is done respectfully and in compliance with applicable laws;
- Respect for participants—participants enter the study on a voluntary basis and are given adequate information including research protocol and purpose, risks and anticipated benefits, alternative procedures if any, and the right to withdraw from the study at any time;
- Beneficence—research is conducted in a manner that brings no harm or a minimum level of harm that is justified by the goals of the research study; and
- Justice—research protocol should reflect a fair and equitable procedure for selection of participants.
We have policies and practices in place that comply with federal standards prohibiting research misconduct. Research misconduct could include, but is not limited to, deliberate falsification or fabrication of data or findings, plagiarism, misrepresentation of research, and nondisclosure of a conflict of interest.
How do we ensure research integrity?
Research integrity goes much further than taking reasonable steps to prevent research misconduct. We expect all research conducted by our staff, partners, and contractors to meet the highest professional standards, particularly regarding the quality, relevance, and reliability of the products made. Contractors hired to do research are expected to follow our standards of research integrity. We include such expectations in all relevant contracts, and we ask all individuals or organizations conducting research on behalf of or in partnership with the Lincoln Institute, including our own staff, to ensure quality control is part of their management responsibilities. Good practices for quality control include verification and validation of data, good recordkeeping, the use of well-proven and up-to-date methodologies, and independent review of findings.
All staff involved in research activities are required to annually affirm their adherence to our Responsible Research Policy and must complete the Responsible Conduct of Research training every two years.
How do we handle allegations of research misconduct?
All Lincoln Institute staff contractors, and partners are expected to report observed or suspected cases of research misconduct and violations of our research integrity statement this policy, and Conflict of Interest Policy. Such reports may be made anonymously via our employee relations platform AllVoices or directly to the Executive Director of Research and Cross-cutting Initiatives.
In all cases, good-faith reporters of suspected misconduct will be protected by the Lincoln Institute’s whistleblower policy from any retaliation stemming from an allegation of research misconduct.
In the event of an allegation of misconduct, the Director of Legal Compliance, or their designee, will immediately begin an inquiry to assess the substance of the allegation and to determine if an investigation is warranted. There will always be an opportunity for the subject of the inquiry to be heard.
If an investigation is warranted, the Executive Director of Research and Cross-cutting Initiatives will begin to develop a factual record of the evidence, including interviews and review of relevant records. Depending on the complexity of the case, the Executive Director may select other uninvolved individuals—internally or externally—to help with the investigation.
It is the Lincoln Institute’s policy to inform pertinent outside entities of potential research misconduct after the investigation is completed, unless otherwise required by law or regulation.
If the Executive Director determines that research misconduct has occurred, they will write a memo detailing their findings and recommendations so that the Chief Program Officer can then adjudicate and decide what actions will be taken. Such actions may include the recovery of funds; debarment of the researcher(s) that engaged in the misconduct; providing proper attribution; retraction or correction of all pending products resulting from the research; removal of the person from the project or other employment-related actions, such as but not limited to training requirements, letters of reprimand, or suspensions; or other action appropriate for curing the research misconduct.
Additionally, the Chief Program Officer will write a memo detailing the adjudication and actions to be taken. The Chief Program Officer will provide written notice of the adjudication and actions to be taken to the subject and will then obtain a written statement from the subject.
If the Executive Director of Research, or the Director of Legal Compliance is the subject of a research misconduct allegation or there is a conflict of interest, the actions described above will be executed by the Chief Program Officer or their designee. If the Chief Program Officer is the subject of a research misconduct allegation or there is a conflict of interest, the actions described above will be executed by another C-Suite leader. The subject alleged to have committed the research misconduct may appeal the findings of an investigation or adjudication through the appeal policy and procedure. Appeals will be handled by a third party.
Confidentiality will be maintained throughout this process, and disclosure of the identity of those involved in research misconduct allegations will be limited to the extent possible to those who need to know, consistent with a thorough, competent, objective, and fair research misconduct proceeding.
In all cases, the Lincoln Institute will follow all applicable federal and state laws and regulations and funder requirements in its handling of research misconduct allegations. Handling of an allegation of research misconduct in a federally funded project will follow the procedures outlined in the laws and regulations identified in the project’s agreement, which may differ from the procedures laid out in this policy.