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.
- Ethical considerations—research is designed to generate benefits where and with whom we work, with careful consideration.
We have implemented policies and practices 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 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 are required to annually affirm their adherence to our research integrity statement and this policy. Further, staff working on federally funded projects that involve research are required to complete an online self-paced training called “Responsible Conduct of Research” within one month of starting work on the project. Such staff are also required to complete the refresher version of the course after two years if they are still working on federally funded projects that involve research.
How do we handle allegations of research misconduct?
All Lincoln Institute staff are expected to report observed or suspected cases of research misconduct and violations of our research integrity statement. Such reports may be made anonymously via our employee relations platform AllVoices or directly to the executive director of research. Reports from external parties of suspected misconduct by Lincoln Institute staff or contractors must be shared with the executive director of research.
In all cases, good-faith reporters of suspected misconduct will be protected by the Lincoln Institute’s whistleblower policy.
The executive director of research will immediately assess the allegation and determine if an inquiry is warranted. If it is, the executive director 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 inquiry.
If the inquiry finds the allegations have merit, the executive director will then lead an investigation to evaluate the merit of the allegations. The executive director will also notify the director of legal compliance, who will determine if any outside entities need to be informed about the investigation and will work with the appropriate staff to notify such entities. It is the Lincoln Institute’s policy to inform pertinent outside entities of potential research misconduct after the internal investigation is completed, unless otherwise required by law or regulation. There will always be an opportunity for the subject of the investigation to be heard.
If the executive director determines that research misconduct has occurred, they will decide what administrative actions will be taken. Such actions may include 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. The director of legal compliance will also work with appropriate staff to inform any outside entities that need to be informed of the investigation’s outcome.
If the executive director 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.
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.