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Good research practice and research misconduct

Here you can read about good research practice, and what responsibilities you and others have. You can also read about research misconduct and other deviations from good research practice, as well as about how suspicions are handled and reported.

Good research practice

According to the Higher Education Act (Högskolelagen (1992:1434)), higher education institutions shall uphold academic credibility and good research practice in the course of their operations (3a§). There is no exact definition of “good research practice” or corresponding terms in other languages. It could be described as the moral practice that develops as a result of critical reflection by different actors in science and society (cf. SOU 1999:4) or as “the collective ethical criteria on how good research should be conducted” (Good Research Practice, VR, 2017:17).

Stockholm university’s research integrity and ethics policy points out the four fundamental principles set out in The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (the the so called ALLEA Code) as guiding when it comes to good research practice. The Code was revised in 2023, but SU still relies on the previous version from 2017.

The four principles are:

  1. Reliability in ensuring the quality of research, reflected in the design, the methodology, the analysis and the use of resources.
  2. Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, reporting and communicating research in a transparent, fair, full and unbiased way.
  3. Respect for colleagues, research subjects, society, ecosystems, cultural heritage and the environment.
  4. Accountability for the research from idea to publication, for its management and organisation, for training, supervision and mentoring, and for its wider impacts.

 

Responsibility for good research practice at Stockholm University

Stockholm University’s research integrity and ethics policy describes the University’s overall view on protecting and promoting good research practice. The policy introduces the foundations for this work as well as the distribution of responsibilities within the organisation.

Everyone has a responsibility for good research practice

Everyone at Stockholm University has a responsibility for good research practice. Each researcher is responsible for following good research practice in their research and everybody at the University is obliged to stay informed about and follow applicable rules and guidelines within the research integrity and ethics area. Taking one’s individual responsibility includes:

  • continuously acquiring/participating in information/training in good research practice when this is offered
  • keeping up to date with relevant rules, guidelines, governing and policy documents in the research integrity and ethics area
  • acting responsibly and following relevant applicable rules and guidelines within the research integrity and ethics area, including internal governing documents and decisions
  • contributing to a good research and working environment and to collegial discussions about research integrity and ethics questions
  • when necessary, seeking advice and support concerning good research practice.

Stockholm University as an organisation has the overall responsibility

The University has the overall responsibility for ensuring that research carried out within the operations of the University is conducted in accordance with good research practice and that scientific credibility and good research practice are safeguarded. This involves striving for a high level of awareness and knowledge of good research practice, as well as a good research and working environment characterized by openness and respect. The overall responsibility entails ensuring that:

  • all who carry out research or participate in research or similar activities are given sufficient and continuous information and training in good research practice and regulations in force, as well as other resources required in order for them to be able to fulfil their individual responsibility (see above) and the particular responsibility which comes with specific roles (see below)
  • there are clear internal governing documents within the research integrity and ethics area
  • there are adequate structures for promoting good research practice, including compliance in the research integrity and ethics area (this comprises structures for support, control and follow-up).

Some roles and functions entail a special responsibility

Some roles and functions entail a special responsibility for good research practice.

Heads of department (or equivalent) have an overall responsibility for ensuring that research at the department or equivalent is carried out in accordance with good research practice. This includes a responsibility for creating good research environments, providing everybody at the department with favourable conditions for fulfilling their individual responsibility (for instance by making sure that everybody is offered information, training, advice and support in matters concerning good research practice), and rectifying potential organizational deficiencies which may lead to insufficient compliance.

Heads of department (or equivalent) are also responsible for taking measures to prevent research which requires approval from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority in accordance with the Ethical Review Act from being carried out without such approval or in conflict with conditions communicated in connection with such approval (read more about ethical review of research involving humans here). Heads of department or equivalent represent the University vis-à-vis the Swedish Ethical Review Authority and the Ethics Review Appeals Board.

Deans have an overall responsibility to ensure that research at the faculty is carried out in accordance with good research practice. Consequently, they are responsible for ensuring that the heads of department (or equivalent) have the authority, competence and resources necessary to fulfil their overall responsibility. The President in turn is responsible for ensuring that the deans have sufficient authority, competence and resources necessary to fulfil their overall responsibility.

Teachers and researchers who supervise doctoral students/students whose work include research or similar activities have a special responsibility to inform them about regulations, guidelines and governing and support documents, as well as to ensure that they participate in training about good research practice. The role of the supervisor also includes contributing to creating good environments and to provide the doctoral students/students with guidance on matters concerning good research practice.

The doctoral students/students have an individual responsibility to acquire information and training provided, and to follow the instructions given by the supervisor, so long as this does not entail deviations from good research practice.

The responsibilities of the University’s License holder for animal experiments involve ensuring that activities involving animal experiments are given sufficient personnel and resources to be carried out in accordance with applicable regulatory provisions. The researcher who is responsible for carrying out an animal experiment also has to make sure there is an ethical approval, that the experiment is done in accordance with this approval and that all unnecessary suffering is prevented.

 

Support and resources on good research practice

You can learn more about good research practice by reading the staff webpages on good research practice, where you also find Stockholm University’ research integrity and ethics policy. Another recommended reading is Good Research Practice , published by the Swedish Research Council in 2017. A revised version was published in 2024, currently only available in Swedish.

A key document which Stockholm University’s research integrity and ethics policy relies on and which is of central importance for researchers at the University is The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, often called the ALLEA Code, published by All European Academies 2017. A revised version of the code was published in 2023.

The ethics support function at the Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services offers digital workshops on this code for departments, research groups or others who want to learn more about the code and how its principles can be implemented in different areas of research.

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, often called the ALLEA Code, presents fundamental principles for good research practice, describes good research practices within a number of areas as well as research misconduct and other deviations from good research practice.

It is important that everyone at Stockholm University who conducts or participates in research is familiar with the fundamental principles presented in the code, and understands how these are to be applied in one’s area of research. To facilitate this, the ethics support function at the Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services offers a digital workshop that can be given in departments, to research or doctoral student groups or in other contexts.

The workshop can be adapted to needs and preferences, but in its basic setup it is constituted by short presentations, interactive elements and discussions aimed go give a basic introduction to the contents of the code and how the code can be implemented in one’s own area of research. Participants are also given a preparatory assignment to hand in before the workshop. It its basic setup, the workshop takes 3,5 hours.

Welcome to get in touch with use if you are interested in hosting a workshop! Write to etik@fs.su.se.

As a researcher you can turn to the ethics support function at the Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services if you have questions or concerns relating to research integrity and ethics or about how to take your responsibility for good research practice. For example, concerning questions about ethical review, ethics guidelines, deviations from good research practice or other aspects of research integrity and ethics.

Support on matters relating to animal welfare is the responsibility of the University’s animal welfare body, and the Licence holder office is responsible for information to researchers.

Misconduct in research

The term “misconduct in research” lacks a globally accepted definition (as do other, near-equivalent terms), but it is usually taken to refer to especially grave deviations from good research practice.

The core cases are commonly defined in terms of fabrication, falsification and plagiarism (abbreviated as “FFP”) but misconduct in research can also be taken to include things like theft, wrongful claim of authorship, hindering scientific review, conducting research without the required ethical permissions, breach of confidentiality, dishonesty in reporting to funding agencies, suppression of undesired results, and dissemination of false or distorted results. Intent or gross negligence is usually required in order for a deviation from good practice to count as misconduct.

The Act on responsibility for good research practice and the examination of research misconduct (lagen 2019:504 om ansvar för god forskningssed och prövning av oredlighet i forskning), defines “research misconduct” as "a serious deviation from of good research practice in the form of fabrication, falsification or plagiarism that is committed intentionally or with gross negligence when planning, conducting or reporting research”.

The act entered into force in 2020. You may wish to read the government committee report where the act was proposed, and the subsequent government bill.

Managing suspicions of misconduct

According to the Act on responsibility for good research practice and the examination of research misconduct (see above), from January 1st 2020 suspicions of research misconduct shall be investigated by the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct, (Nämnden för prövning av oredlighet i forskning). Other deviations from good research practice than those fitting the definition of research misconduct shall be handled by the higher education institutions themselves.

At Stockholm University, the Council for Good Research Practice (Rådet för god forskningssed, formerly named the Ethics Council/Etiska rådet) is responsible for investigating suspicions of such deviations.

The council consists of:

  • the deputy vice-presidents and the deans of the human science area
  • the pro-dean of the science area
  • the teacher representatives of the University Board.

The Council can also call on external expertise for participation or advice.

The Rules of procedure for the Council for Good Research Practice can be found here (in Swedish). The University Procedure for handling suspicion of deviation from good research practice can be found here.

Suspicions of deviations from good research practice at Stockholm University shall be reported to the President, preferebly in writing to registrator@su.se. A report made to any other employee at Stockholm University shall be forwarded to the President without delay.

The report should include:

  1. the information you are aware of concerning where the research was conducted and the suspected researcher(s) or research project(s),
  2. an account of your suspicion, how the alleged deviation is manifested and where it may be found, and
  3. any files you may have that contains documentation that support your suspicion or allegation.

From January 1st 2020, Stockholm University will hand over cases concerning suspected deviations from good research practice fitting the definition of research misconduct (see above) to the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct. It is also possible to report suspicions of research misconduct directly to the board.

Contact

Ethics support
Contact The ethics support function at the Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services if you have questions about research ethics, ethical review, ethical guidelines, good research practice and research misconduct
etik@fs.su.se

Last updated: 2024-10-23

Source: The Office of Research, Engagement and Innovation Services