Research Group Code of Conduct

Respectful collaboration

Research benefits from disagreement, criticism and the free exchange of ideas. These should always be conducted professionally and with respect for the people involved.

In particular, members of the group are expected to:

• treat others with respect regardless of role, seniority, background or level of experience;
• criticize ideas and arguments rather than people;
• communicate honestly and constructively, including when disagreeing;
• make space for others to contribute;
• respect personal and professional boundaries, privacy and reasonable expectations about working time; and
• contribute to an environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation, sexualized violence and retaliation.

Differences in seniority create real differences in power. Students, postdocs and junior collaborators should feel able to question my ideas, disagree with me, or raise concerns without this affecting the opportunities and support they receive.

Credit and authorship

People should receive appropriate credit for their work and ideas. Credit should reflect contribution rather than seniority, status, funding or supervisory role.

Authorship and other forms of credit should be discussed openly, preferably early in a project, and revisited when contributions or roles change. All those who make a substantial contribution to a paper should be offered appropriate authorship, and people who are involved in discussions but do not meet the standard for authorship should be acknowledged where appropriate. No one should be included as an author merely because of their position.

When presenting joint work, collaborators should be clearly identified and contributions from others should be appropriately acknowledged.

Unpublished ideas or materials shared by collaborators should not be circulated or used outside the collaboration without appropriate permission.

In mathematics and theoretical computer science, author order will normally be alphabetical.

AI and automated tools

AI and other automated tools can be useful in mathematical research, including for exploration, computation, coding, exposition and critique. Their use should support rather than replace the development of mathematical understanding and judgment.

Consistent with the Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics, group members remain responsible for the correctness and adequacy of their arguments and results, and for the accuracy and completeness of their citations, regardless of the tools used. Substantive use of AI or other automated tools should be disclosed when it is relevant to understanding or evaluating the work, and whenever required by a journal, conference, funder, university or collaborator. AI systems should not be listed as authors.

Because AI systems can obscure the origins of ideas or produce inaccurate attributions, users should make reasonable efforts to locate and credit the relevant human sources rather than relying on AI-generated citations. Unpublished research, referee reports, grant applications, private communications, personal information, or other confidential material should not be uploaded to external AI systems without appropriate permission.

These expectations are also consistent with UVic's Guidelines for Using Generative AI in Research.

Raising concerns

I encourage group members to raise problems early, including relatively minor ones. You are welcome to raise a concern with me directly, but you are never required to raise a concern with me first, particularly if the concern involves me or if doing so would be uncomfortable.

Depending on the situation, other people and offices you may approach include a co-supervisor or member of your supervisory committee, the Department's Graduate Advisor, the Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, or another faculty member you trust. UVic students may also consult the Office of the Ombudsperson, which is an independent, impartial and confidential resource.

Concerns involving discrimination or harassment can be taken directly to UVic Equity and Human Rights. Concerns involving sexualized violence can be taken to the Sexualized Violence Resource Office. Concerns about scholarly misconduct can be raised through the University's processes for Scholarly Integrity. These routes are available independently of me, and seeking advice does not necessarily require making a formal complaint.

No one should experience retaliation or disadvantage for raising a concern in good faith, seeking advice about a concern, or supporting someone else who does so.

Training and professional development

Creating a respectful research environment requires ongoing learning. I encourage all group members, including myself, to take advantage of relevant training and professional-development opportunities. UVic's Equity and Human Rights workshops, courses and training include opportunities related to equity, diversity and inclusion, discrimination and harassment, and respectful professional environments. UVic also provides training materials and resources on unconscious bias, which can help us reflect on how implicit assumptions may affect professional judgments and interactions. The Sexualized Violence Resource Office offers training on prevention and response, consent, bystander intervention and related topics. Graduate students may also find UVic's Integrity in Practice training useful for academic integrity and responsible use of generative AI.

University and departmental policies

Members of the group are also subject to applicable University of Victoria and Department of Mathematics and Statistics policies. In particular, the Department's Code of Conduct, UVic's policies on discrimination and harassment, sexualized violence and scholarly integrity, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies' Graduate Supervision Policy provide more detailed guidance and formal procedures.