DISKAH Charter: Advancing Social and Civic Responsibility through Research

Preamble

The DISKAH fellowships and wider network are funded by the UKRI through the ‘UKRI300: Digital Skills in Arts and Humanities (DISKAH): Transforming Access to Digital Infrastructure and Skills’.

As a part of this award and adhering to best practice for inclusive, sustainable, and ethical practice, the DISKAH Charter prioritizes good practice around ethics and responsible research innovation. In the development of the funding application, the following frameworks, codes and values provided examples and inspiration for best ethically responsible practices:

the AREA framework for responsible research and innovation (RRI): Anticipate, reflect, engage, act (UKRI/EPSRC; Owens et al. 2013).

The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance - collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics https://www.gida-global.org/careprinciples

Inclusive practice, as informed by specialist ethical codes for working with health, disability (e.g. NEAC 2019) and other protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010).

UKRI DRI Values, including four priorities: Interconnected (community engagement and federation); FAIR (findable, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability); Human (people); Sustainable (Net Zero by 2050).

UKRIO’s code of practice for research: informed consents, research integrity and honoring the human dignity of participants.

The DISKAH approach to ethically informed and responsible research innovation has been approved by the UKRI as part of the DISKAH project’s funding conditions. In addition, DISKAH also recognises academic freedom in relation to the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act (2023, revised version 2025).

This charter is at the heart of DISKAH’s approach to building a collaborative network, widening arts and humanities access to digital skills and resources with Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) partners, for the benefit of both the wider research community as well as for social good. The definition of ‘good’ is understood as informed by highly regarded frameworks (e.g. AREA, CARE, FAIR, and with consideration of those from marginalized and under-represented groups as in NEAC and the equality act) and DRI values. For further examination of the ‘digital good’ see the Digital Good Network for further nuance.

DISKAH takes these charter principles as enabling the conditions for high-quality research and game-changing, responsible innovation.

The preamble has been informed by institutional, national, and international frameworks in respect to UK law. The following values, behaviours, and consequences have been co-designed with the DISKAH team and fellows in April 2025 and in April 2026 to provide guidance for all DISKAH activities and events.

Core values for innovative and high-quality research and digital environments

Recognition of equality, diversity, and inclusion as informing every aspect of research practice, including overlapping practices through 1) social and civic responsibility; 2) high-quality research; and 3) recognition of valued interpersonal qualities:

1) Social and civic responsibility:

Research priorities that can further support greater social and civic responsibility require a commitment to:

Prioritize the social good, including sustainability, transparency, openness, collaboration, cooperation, inclusion, and justice for enabling more accessible and supportive environments.

Enabling collective resources and prioritizing open source, open access, and open methods in research processes.

Challenge the role of ‘big tech’ and proprietary technologies in research and collaboration.

Developing and sharing models of real world outcomes and impacts.

2) Developing high-quality research includes prioritizing:

Well developed ethical thinking and workflows to inform innovation and lines of enquiry.

Practice respect of collaborators, research participants, environment, and under-represented groups.

Embrace exploratory engagement in good faith.

Practice transparency, openness, and honesty in research exchange and processes.

Prioritize literacies and accessible practices in every aspect of research practice.

3) Interpersonal qualities recognized as helpful for collaborative engagement: kindness, candour, self-reflective and reflective, imagination, tenacity, grit, bravery (e.g. willingness to take risks in research).

Acceptable behaviours in the spirit of collaboration

Αs a part of a collaborative research environment, we expect participants to show courtesy and respect for others. In particular, this includes openness to new ideas and valuing difference(s). DISKAH encourages sharing knowledge (including code and resources) and promotes constructive, collegial engagement.

In addition, we encourage participants to celebrate ideas, knowledge and others where appropriate. In line with this spirit, we encourage members to play and have fun with their projects, shared work, events, and innovations as appropriate to the context. The DISKAH team will also be mindful of members as whole people with outside responsibilities and respect flexible working arrangements within reasonable working hours.

We encourage behaviours that contribute to a welcoming research environment that fosters collaboration and engagement.

Unacceptable behaviours that compromise collaboration

DISKAH will not tolerate any behaviours that target, harass, discriminate or abuse other members. We ask members to refrain from: Incendiary messages; rude, aggressive, and/or antagonistic communications and/or behaviours; unreasonable requests to work and/or participate outside of appropriate working hours; and profiting from shared and/or public research.

Consequences for violating the charter

The process for enforcement is dependent on the gravity of the behaviour. DISKAH does not tolerate abuse or harassment in any form. Behaviors such as exclusion, intimidation, use of abusive or degrading language, stalking, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, and all other forms of harassment will face consequences. The team retains the right to take actions to keep the event and/or activity a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the room/event if necessary.

Reporting

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. You can report in person to anyone on the project team, via email to the project manager (l.johncox@brighton.ac.uk), or anonymously via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/P81nrsyP5F.

When reporting please be specific, stay constructive, and use respectful language.

Appendix: Wider conduct standards and examples

International principles, ethics, and codes of conduct

Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance - collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics (International) https://www.gida-global.org/careprinciples

Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) (International)

Internet research ethics 3.0 https://aoir.org/reports/ethics3.pdf (2019)

AoIR Risky Research Guide https://aoir.org/riskyresearchguide/ (2025)

National Ethics Advisory Committee (NEAC), National Ethical Standards, https://neac.health.govt.nz/national-ethical-standards/ (New Zealand, 2019)

The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession (OCAP), https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/ (Canada)

First Nations Data Governance Strategy, https://fnigc.ca/what-we-do/first-nations-data-governance-strategy/

Data Sovereignty Research Collaborative https://fnigc.ca/what-we-do/dsrc-2/