Responsible conduct of research in Europe with 1) the self-regulation framework on research integrity of Finland and 2) the European Network of Research Integrity Offices ENRIO as examples

Sanna-Kaisa Spoof, Chair, ENRIO; Secretary General, Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK

• Every researcher is responsible for following the responsible conduct of research in his / her own work

• Research organizations are responsible for promoting responsible research culture

• Mandatory courses on research ethics (RE) and research integrity (RI) in higher education;

• Continuing education in RI for both researchers and university teachers

• National procedures for handling allegations of research misconduct are needed in every country

• Preventing research misconduct is a guarantee for quality in all academic disciplines

Basis of responsible conduct of research

Case Finland: Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK

• Founded 1991

• 10 board members, appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland for three year terms

• Independent, unpolitical organization

• Office situated at the Federation of the Finnish Learned Societies, Helsinki

• Oversees the investigation processes of researchmisconduct and serves as a body that handlesappeals

TENK’snational

guidelines

- First published in 1994; in Finnish, Swedish and English; in 2019 edited versions also in Chinese, Russian and Spanish

- The Finnish guidelines consist of the following parts:• Definition of the responsible conduct of

research/good research practice• Classification of violation against the

responsible conduct of research• Procedure for handling the misconduct of

research

Code of Conduct for ResearchIntegrity in Finland 1/2

• Self regulation system: voluntary commitment by the research organizations to adhere to the code and to increase awareness of the principles of research integrity

• apply to all academic disciplines and research in Finland

List of the committed organizations (amount 78; for example, all universities), see: www.tenk.fi

Organizations must notify TENK of all started inquiries.

Code of Conduct for Research Integrityin Finland 2/2

• Ethical principles of research in the humanities and social and behavioural sciences and proposals for ethical review (2009) revised 2019

• Template for researcher’s curriculum vitae (2012)

• Supervision of doctoral dissertations and their review process in Finland with a special emphasis on research integrity. (English edition 2017)

• Agreeing on authorship. Recommendation for research publications (2018)

Other national guidelines by TENK

• A general guideline that does not specify in detail the principles of authorship

• The idea is to guide research projects on agreeing on principles of authorship as early as possible in order to prevent future authorship disputes

• Also in English

Agreeing on Authorship. Recommendation for research publications (2018)

Challenge for European public and privateresearch organizations:

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity.

By All European Academies ALLEA 2017. - Supported by European Commission.

ResearchIntegrity

Advisers in Finland

• a system initiated by TENK in 2017

• 1 - 5 research integrity advisers in each university or other research organization

• to promote responsible conduct of research (RCR) in his / her own organization

• give researchers confidential advice related to research integrity or ethical issues more broadly

RI Advisers 1/3

• provide low-threshold confidential counselling in cases where a violation of RCR is alleged

• advice both victims or “whistleblowers” and persons alleged of misconduct (but not in the same case!)

• help to distinguish whether an official process for handling misconduct is needed

RI Advisers 2/3

Network of Research Integrity AdvisersTo improve recognition and prevention of research misconduct

Since 2017 TENK has trained 123 RI Advisers in 63 research organisations to offer ethical counselling and confidential discussion in RI matters

RI Advisers “Class of 2017”

• www.responsibleresearch.fi(www.vastuullinentiede.fi)

• Open webpage for the whole research community, journalists and general public

• To provide introductions, recommendations to and guidance on the main issues in research ethics, research integrity and science communication

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www.enrio.eu

For more information about ENRIO

www.enrio.eu

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European Network of Research Integrity Offices (ENRIO)

• Founded right after the 1st World Conference on Research Integrity in Lisbon, Portugal in 2007

• Brings together experts dealing with questions about research integrity

• ENRIO is an informal network but it will be changed into a legal entity, step by step, starting 2019

• Membership is open to representatives of national offices and national organisations as well as other relevant bodies or groups from Europe that support the goal of ENRIO

• ENRIO Board 2019 -2021: Chair Sanna Kaisa Spoof (Finland); vice chairs Maura Hiney (Ireland) and Hjördis Czesnick (Germany)

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European Network of Research Integrity Offices (ENRIO)

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Members of the European Network of Research Integrity Offices ENRIO

Members:

32 member organizations from 23 European countries (03/2019);

National models are based either 1) on legislation or 2) on self-regulation by scientific community itself

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Activities of the European Network of Research Integrity Offices

Activities:

Bi-annual meetings; next in Cracow September 2019

ENRIO Newsletter

Participation in the EU-funded projects

Working groups on investigation, training, etc.

European congresses on RI practice (first 5. –7. October 2020 in Finland)

www.enrio.euwww.tenk.fi/en

Sanna Kaisa SPOOFPhD; Secretary General, TENK Chair, ENRIO

Thank you!