Recognised norms of research ethics are developed over time and institutionalised in the international research community. The norms are grounded in general principles such as truth, respect, good consequences, justice and aptitude.
Norway's Research Ethics Act requires all scientists to follow these norms. They are specified and made accessible through different sets of standards and guidelines.
As one such specification, the University of Oslo has established its own Standard for Research Integrity. This standard expresses what internal ethical norms are relevant for the university and its employees’ activities.
Recognised norms of research ethics are also codified through guidelines for scientific research: guidelines and tools to handle questions and dilemmas within specific fields of research. The Norwegian research community follows both national and international guidelines.
Below we go through norms, standard and guidelines in some more detail, and include relevant links for further reading.
Recognised norms of research ethics
Regocnised norms of research ethics are basic guidelines for ethical and responsible research. They are largely developed through open discussions in the research community. The norms regulate both internal conditions that concern the research practice directly, and the research's relationsto individuals who are affected by the research and society.
According to the National Research Ethics Committee, these norms can be divited into three main categories:
- Norms for good scientific practice, related to the quest for accurate, adequate and relevant knowledge, such as academic freedom, originality and openness, and norms that regulate the research community. The purpose is to ensure reliable knowledge.
- Norms that regulate the relationship with individuals and groups who are directly or indirectly affected by the research. The purpose is to ensure that the research benefits the individuals and to protect against the violation of human rights and other harm.
- Norms regarding the overall social responsibility of scientific research, including its implications for society, its relevance, user interest, and the academic responsibility to maintain a well-functioning public debate. The purpose is to ensure that research benefits society and that it does not cause harm to individuals, society or the environment.
Read more on National Research Ethics Committee's website
UiO's standard for research integrity
Research integrity is fundamentally about reliability, honesty, respect and responsibility in research; to prevent fabrication, falsification and plagiarism and other violations of internal norms in research ethics.
To make it clear what it means to behave with integrity as a researcher at UiO, and which sets of norms for research integrity that are relevant for the university and its employees’ activities, the University Board has established a standard for research integrity. The standard applies to all researchers at UiO, and must be followed throughout the research process.
The standard gives specific recommendations concerning the right to chose topic and method, academic freedom, good reference practice, conflict of interest, co-authorship, publishing of research results, the responsibilities of research managers and advisers, quantitative vs. qualitative goals and collaboration across subjects, institutions and countries.
On the basis of the standard, the following recommendations are made:
- Researchers have the right to choose the subject and method for their research. The researcher and the university must protect the freedom and independence of research.
- Academic freedom is conditional on the integrity of research. The researcher and the university must ensure that the norm of truth is pursued in all research.
- All research must adhere to good citation practice. Training in this is a necessary precondition to avoid all forms of plagiarism.
- Researchers must assess and disclose conflicts of interest.
- The Vancouver criteria stipulate the minimum standard for eligible academic authorship for all subject areas.
- Researchers have the right to publish their results and must ensure that such publication takes place. The relevant research basis must be made available in accordance with good practice in the subject area concerned.
- Research leaders and supervisors must do their best to create and establish a culture of research integrity and compliance, and be aware of asymmetry in power and position.
- All research must be assessed on the basis of scientific quality, and not only according to quantitative measures.
- In the case of research that involves collaboration across disciplines, institutions or countries, cooperation agreements should be entered into that also regulate questions of research integrity.
Read or download the complete standard (.pdf)
Guidelines of research ethics
Guidelines of research ethics, national and international, are specifications of recognised norms of research ethics.
National guidelines
In Norway, the national guidelines of research ethics are prepared by the National Committees on Research Ethics. Different academic fields face different ethical challenges. The guidelines give you knowledge of recognised norms of research ethics and function as important tools for handling ethical questions and dilemmas within your field of research.
National Committees on Research Ethics' guidelines are available on the website forskningsetikk.no. Here are direct links to guidelines for spesific subjects and fields of research:
International guidelines
Internasjonal guidelines followed by the research community in Norway pertain to, among other things, research integrity, international research collaboration and publishing. We have gathered some of the main guidelines here:
- All European Academies: The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA, 2017)
- Montreal Statement on Research Integrity in Cross-Boundary Research Collaborations (developed by World Conference on Research Integrity, 2013)
- Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals ("The Vancouver Recommendations", International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, 2022)