Ethical scholarship

"Ethical scholarship entails the pursuit of scholarly enquiry marked by honesty and integrity..."
(University of Western Australia, 2004a)

In addition to providing a definition of Ethical Scholarship, UWA provides guidance concerning "ethical principles, values and behaviours" for matters of social, moral and academic conduct through its Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct (UWA 2004b). These codes apply to all staff and students, and acknowledge the multiplicity of allegiances and obligations that staff have to their discipline or profession, the academy, their community and the University. Where the requirements of membership and participation in any of these groups conflict, the guide requires that staff or student "weigh the importance of these allegiances in each particular set of circumstances and to notify an appropriate officer of the University where such conflict does or may arise."

This requirement supports the view taken by Roworth (2002) who points out that while the professions of law and medicine have associations to enforce the standards of practice, academic members are to ensure the integrity of their professional conduct mainly by themselves.

Are the conduct requirements of your discipline or profession in harmony with the University's expectation of ethical scholarship? Would you be aware if a conflict occurred? Would your students know?

• Roworth, W. (2002). Professional Ethics, Day by Day. Retrieved April 26, 2005 from http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/2002/02JF/02jfrow.htm

• University of Western Australia (2004a). Academic Conduct - Ethical Scholarship, Academic Literacy and Academic Misconduct. Retrieved April 26, 2005 from http://www.teachingandlearning.uwa.edu.au/?f=58086

• University of Western Australia (2004b). Code of Ethics & Code of Conduct. Retrieved April 26, 2005 from http://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/page/9649