Scholarly Culture & Accountability Plan (SCAP)

Primary accountability for the veracity of research lies with the principal investigator and the co-authors of the investigator's scholarly publications. However, it is the unit director (chair or institute/center director) who is responsible for setting and maintaining standards and ensuring a culture of quality, integrity, and open discourse.

All School of Medicine department chairs and center and institute directors have developed accountability plans for research quality and integrity. Download an Outline of the main elements of a Scholarly Culture and Accountability Plan.

These plans include:

• Open forums to encourage critical discussion ensuring the highest possible standards in research.
• Fostering an environment in which everyone feels free to express concern/criticism.
• Processes to ensure that the unit leader promptly and appropriately responds to substantive questions raised about research conducted within his/her unit.

Contact ASIST (asist@duke.edu) if you have questions about developing or updating your unit's SCAP.