RESEARCH INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE
Issues of research integrity and compliance are supported by various offices throughout the University. Key institutional resources include:
As public servants and professionals, researchers have clear obligations to conduct their research responsibly. Villanova researchers are required to complete Responsible Conduct of Research Training. Read more
Recognizing that faculty members and other University personnel engaged in research may have financial interests related to their research and—in accordance with applicable federal regulations—Villanova requires that these financial interests be disclosed and adequately managed, reduced or eliminated, as may be appropriate under the specific circumstances. Read more
Protection of the rights and well-being of human subjects involved in research is a concern of Villanova University. To assure protection of human subjects and to ensure compliance with the regulations, Villanova’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews any research activity that involves human subjects, whether such research is undertaken on a large or small scale, whether it is preliminary or fully designed, whether it is student or faculty research, whether it is funded or non-funded and whether it involves minimal risk or more than minimal risk. Read more
The Villanova University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for oversight of the University's animal facilities and procedures to ensure appropriate care and humane treatment of all vertebrate animals being utilized for education and research. The IACUC serves as a critical resource to faculty, staff, students and administrators to facilitate training and educational programs and provide guidance to maintain the highest ethical and scientific standards for all academic and scholarly activities that involve animal use. Read more
It's the policy of Villanova University to comply with all applicable statutes, executive orders, regulations and contractual requirements covering the exports to foreign entities and persons, including foreign persons employed by and/or taking classes or conducting research at Villanova. Read more
The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversees all research involving biological materials including some molecules, bacteria, viruses, arthropods and recombinant DNA technology in accordance with guidance from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition, if you are creating transgenic lines of organisms as research models, they could require approval from IBC. Read more
Villanova University’s faculty, staff and students are regularly involved in scholarly activities that stem from the core teaching, learning, research and service missions of the University. While the primary focus of such efforts is the advancement of the University mission, the products of scholarship often have broader applications to and benefits for the individuals involved, to the University, and to society. By establishing a policy on Intellectual Property, Villanova University seeks to support the activities of the faculty, staff and students in identifying, protecting and administering Intellectual Property matters and defining the rights and responsibilities of all involved.
Predatory journals and conferences exploit researchers by charging high fees for publication or presentation while bypassing rigorous peer review and editorial standards. These deceptive practices result in poorly vetted research entering the academic literature, damage to researcher reputation and wasted time and resources. Please see the below additional resources to help identify and avoid predatory journals and conferences.