I. Introduction

  1. The OSU Linguistics Community
  2. Department Mission
  3. Code of Research and Scholarly Conduct
  4. Use of Human Subjects

1. The OSU Linguistics Community

See the OSU Linguistics "people" page and the larger list of people affiliated with the Buckeye Language Network.

2. Department Mission

The overall mission of the Department of Linguistics is to pursue the scientific investigation of language as a human phenomenon in its historical, psychological, and social dimensions, through effective and innovative undergraduate teaching, a research-oriented graduate program, and high-quality faculty and student research covering the major subareas within the discipline of linguistics.

3. Code of Research and Scholarly Conduct

In keeping with this focus on the scientific investigation of language, all members of the department, including faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate majors are expected to conduct research, and they are expected to observe ethical standards in conducting this research. That is, the "Graduate Student Code of Research and Scholarly Conduct" that was approved by the Council on Research and Graduate Studies on May 19, 2004 (see Appendix B of the Graduate School Handbook) does not apply just to the graduate students affiliated with the department. To paraphase the central paragraph of this Code:

When faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students join the Ohio State linguistics community, they become members of an interlocking set of scholarly communities that extend well beyond this university. Faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students affiliated with the department are expected to respect and abide by the professional codes of ethics and responsibilities that are commonly accepted in linguistics and related fields of study. These codes include but are not limited to the following: a responsibility to contribute an original body of work to one's chosen subdiscipline and the recognition that one's work is based on the work of others which must be respected and properly acknowledged. Linguistics faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students also have the responsibility to treat university staff and other faculty, researchers, and students respectfully and professionally.

4. Use of Human Subjects

The scientific investigation of language often requires the researcher to record the speech of human consultants or to make systematic observations of human reactions to spoken and/or written material. An important component of the ethical conduct of linguistic research thus is knowing and observing national and international conventions and guidelines regarding the use of human subjects. Faculty and students alike are required to educate themselves about these conventions before they begin to gather any data involving humans -- including data gathered as part of a teacher's training of students in the classroom and data gathered as part of a student's duties as a research assistant.

The first step in this process is to take the online course on research with humans subjects that has been set up for OSU researchers by the university's Office of Responsible Research Practice so that all research conducted by anyone affiliated with the departmnet can adhere to the principles that are described in this course. The researcher must also apply to the relevant Institutional Review Board for review of the research design before any new research begins, using a questionnaire that has been developed by the ORRP. Questions about this process can (and should be) addressed to the Principal Investigators of a department-wide protocol that can be amended to cover many of the more common methodologies used, ranging from the recording of language consultants' speech to the measurement of eye movements or reaction times in response to speech stimuli.


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