Research is the attempt to discover and understand the world we live in by widening our perspective on society and nature. Research is, moreover, a socially agreed cooperative activity in the pursuit of knowledge. That pursuit is the general good that gives research meaning and legitimacy, and is complemented by the specific goods associated with individual areas of inquiry such as health, justice and efficiency.
In addition to these primary goods, researchers may and do legitimately pursue external or secondary goods deriving from the pursuit and achievement of knowledge, such as prestige, recognition, a respectable salary and professional advancement.
Research is one of the defining characteristics of the work done by universities and an essential part of their basic functions: to create, develop, communicate and critically evaluate knowledge, method and culture; to equip researchers with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance professionally; and to communicate and transfer knowledge in the interests of culture, quality of life and economic development.
Accordingly, UDC should seek to promote research, establish the personal, material and institutional conditions necessary to ensure that the research produced is of a high standard, and help to consolidate an ethical culture in all aspects of research practice.
The UDC Code of Research Ethics provides researchers with a guide to responsible research practice, as encapsulated by the value, principle and virtue of research integrity.
Good research practice is essential for the production of high-quality scientific and cultural content, and the development of bodies of evidence to inform and drive progress in different areas of knowledge.
It is a pillar of educational excellence and the cornerstone of a career in research.
It offers security to researchers by allowing them to engage with and build on the work of their peers, and helps to build trust among the wider public in the research process and its results.
Academic Careers at the University of A Coruña should be read as a companion to Career Options and Mobility Grants for UDC Researchers, as the first two researcher career stages (R1 and R2) are common to both paths. The aim of the second two career stages described in this document (R3 and R4) is to create stable, independent research positions at UDC for leading researchers in their field of study.
It is important to note that academic careers begun at UDC may be continued elsewhere in Galicia, Spain and the rest of the world, in accordance with the characteristics of each institution, autonomous region or country, details of which are not provided here.
According to the 2017 Career Tracking Survey of Doctorate Holders of the European Science Foundation, 47% of doctorate holders who obtained their degree in the preceding seven years (2010–2016), awarded by any of the nine partner organisations –none from Spain–, work at universities.
This structural problem fuels the extraordinary importance of efforts to offer greater preparation, either during the formation phase or through continuing professional development, for those seeking non-academic careers.
The University of A Coruña wishes to improve training in these areas, mainly through its International Doctorate School (EIDUDC) and its Research Centers, in collaboration with the UDC Center for Educational Training and Innovation (CUFIE), the UDC Library, the UDC International Relationships Office (ORI), and the UDC Technology Transfer Office (OTRI).