Code of Ethics

This code of ethics applies to the staff and scholars (hereinafter, affiliates) of Lorner Research Center (hereinafter, Center). This code outlines the types of conduct required of the Center's affiliates. Certain conduct, regardless of whether it occurs at the Center's offices, events hosted, organized, or supported by the Center, or elsewhere, may result in termination from the Center. The Center aims to support high-quality scholarship, and as such:

Articles

  1. Affiliates shall conduct and represent their research with integrity and in accordance with prevailing publication ethics standards, such as those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This includes accurate attribution of sources, honest reporting of findings, and transparent disclosure of methodologies. Fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism of any kind is grounds for termination. Affiliates shall not employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools for substantive authorship of their work. Disclosure of any AI use is required in all cases. If publication or outlet requirements impose stricter standards on AI use than this Code, those requirements take precedence.

  2. Affiliates shall treat colleagues, staff, visiting scholars, and members of the public with professionalism and respect. Harassment, discrimination, or intimidatory conduct — whether verbal, written, or physical — will not be tolerated and is grounds for termination. For the purposes of this Code, discrimination includes differential treatment on the basis of background or identity, including but not limited to race, gender, religion, national origin, or disability.

  3. Affiliates shall not use their association with the Center to advance personal financial interests, nor engage in activities that create, or reasonably appear to create, a conflict of interest with the Center's mission. Affiliates are expected to disclose any potential conflicts to Center leadership promptly.

  4. Affiliates are free to engage in public communications, including media appearances, publications, and social media, without prior review or approval by the Center. However, affiliates shall abide by this Code in all public communications, including the standards of conduct set forth in article (2). Affiliates shall not represent or imply that their public communications reflect the positions or opinions of the Center.

  5. Affiliates shall handle confidential information — including unpublished research, personnel matters, and donor or partner information — with discretion, and shall not disclose such information without authorization.

  6. Affiliates retain ownership of and rights to their intellectual property (IP). The Center claims no ownership stake in works produced by affiliates unless otherwise specified in a separate written agreement. Where a work is produced collaboratively, IP rights shall be distributed among contributing affiliates in accordance with prevailing attribution standards, such as the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT).

  7. Affiliates shall comply with all applicable laws and institutional policies, including those governing data privacy and the use of Center resources.

  8. Affiliates who become aware of conduct that may violate this Code are encouraged to report it to Center leadership. The Center prohibits retaliation against any affiliate who raises a concern in good faith.

  9. By affiliating with the Center, affiliates agree to be bound by this Code. Violations of this Code may result in termination of affiliation.