Research ethics

Content on this page:

↳ 1.  Ethical reflection in research

↳ 2.  Relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines

↳ 3.  Reporting possible breaches of research integrity at Kristiania  

↳ 4.  Who is responsible for good ethical research at Kristiania?  

↳ 5.  Kristiania’s research ethics council  

↳ 6.  Joint research integrity committee at Kristiania

Responsible: Dept. of Research Administration and Internationalisation; Published: 30.11.2024 Last updated: 13.12.2024

Broad and continuous ethical reflection concerning all aspects of research is essential. Laws and regulations govern important research ethics issues. Yet, ethical reflection must extend further.

Researchers are responsible for ensuring that their research meets good ethical standards. Research group leaders should address relevant ethical questions within their teams. Deans are responsible for ensuring high-quality research within their schools.

For guidance, contact the research administration at forskadm@kristiania.no or submit your case to the Research Ethics Council through this form og send an email to this adress:  forskningsetikk@kristiania.no.

The University of Oslo has developed the following Ten Commandments for ethical practice in research:

• You shall adhere to the rights and duties defined in the University and University College Act.
• You shall know that honesty is an absolute requisite for scientific work.
• You shall act in accordance with ethical guidelines for your area of research.
• You shall give due recognition to colleagues and sources that have aided your own investigation.
• You shall, if at all possible, participate in collegial analysis and communication of methods and results.
• You shall be prepared to account for all means and resources that you have received.
• You shall ensure that your scientific results are solid enough to justify your conclusions and that the raw data/materials on which your publications are based remain intact and available.
• You shall adhere to the rules that govern publications in your field.
• You shall strive to be level-headed when you report your results; consequential considerations should include both potential benefits and would-be ethical dilemmas.
• You shall maintain your scientific competency and also seek to improve it.

All research at Kristiania must adhere to recognized ethical norms and comply with:

• The Research Ethics Act (Forskningsetikkloven).
• Regulations on Research Ethics Committees (Forskningsetikkforskriften).
• National general guidelines for research ethics from the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees.
• Kristiania's internal research ethics guidelines.
• Discipline-specific ethical guidelines from the National Research Ethics Committees.
• The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA), a foundation for research integrity in EU projects and institutions across Europe.
• The Helsinki Declaration, outlining ethical principles for human experimentation (last revised in October 2013).
• The Vancouver Recommendations: Recommendations for the implementation, reporting, editing, and publication of scientific work in medical journals, developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The recommendations specify requirements that most medical journals use as the basis for publishing scientific articles. The recommendations provide both practical and ethical guidelines for authors. 

Here you can report potential breaches of research integrity at Kristiania:

• Use the Reporting form for possible breaches of recognized ethical standards at Kristiania (anonymous submissions are possible).
• Alternatively, email forskningsetikk@kristiania.no

Researchers and the research institution share responsibility for upholding ethical standards.

Kristiania at the institutional level is responsible for ensuring that all research is conducted according to recognized research ethical standards. This includes providing the necessary systems and frameworks, as well as enabling researchers to develop the required competencies.

Leaders at all levels are responsible for ensuring that the normative framework is well known among Kristiania’s researchers and for familiarizing them with the support systems available for research ethics. Leaders must maintain a good balance between trust and oversight, and contribute to fostering an open and transparent research culture. Another important task is to ensure that any breaches are addressed and corrected.

Researchers must act with diligence to ensure that all research is conducted in accordance with recognized research ethics standards.

Kristiania has established the following bodies to address research ethics issues:

• Research Ethics Council, which ensures that all R&D/Artistic Development Work activities conducted by or in collaboration with Kristiania comply with recognized research ethics standards. The council also promotes reflection on research ethics and training.
• Joint Integrity Committee, a joint body with Østfold University College, which has primary responsibility for handling reported cases of potential breaches of recognized research ethics standards.

In this section:

↳ 5.1 Purpose

↳ 5.2 Composition

↳ 5.3 Meetings

↳ 5.4 Tasks

↳ 5.5 Advisory role related to research projects  

↳ 5.6 How to submit requests to the research ethics council?  

5.1 Purpose

The Research Ethics Council is an independent advisory body. It helps ensure that all research and artistic development work conducted by or in collaboration with Kristiania adheres to good research ethics practices. The council provides recommendations within its defined scope of work.

5.2 Composition

• Chair: Prorector for Research and Artistic Development (deputy: Vice Rector for Education).
• Members: One academic staff member with a personal deputy from each school.

Members must have research experience and a solid understanding of research ethics issues. External experts may assist in ethical assessments and can be invited as needed.

5.3 Meetings

The council holds regular meetings based on current needs (at least two per semester).

5.4 Tasks

• Provide advice to Kristiania’s leadership on how to address and prevent research ethics challenges at the institutional level.
• Collaborate with relevant units at Kristiania to promote a strong research ethics culture through training programs, discussions, and awareness-raising initiatives.
• Advise academic staff on research ethics issues and challenges.
• Prepare formal statements when necessary concerning scientific publications.

The Research Ethics Council reports annually to Kristiania’s leadership. The report will be publicly available and must consider, among others, data protection.

5.5 Advisory role related to research projects

The Research Ethics Council will provide advice in connection with:

1. Projects involving ethical challenges related to humans that present risks of harm or burdens beyond a reasonable level and that are not covered by the Health Research Act.
2. Projects involving ethical challenges related to animals or the environment that present risks of harm or burdens beyond a reasonable level.

The Research Ethics Council will not provide advice for:

1. Projects requiring approval from the Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK).
2. Projects solely concerning privacy/GDPR issues, which should be reported to SIKT.
3. Student projects, including bachelor’s and master’s theses.

The council's recommendations are final. Advice will be provided in the applicant’s preferred language.

5.6 How to submit requests to the research ethics council?

• All inquiries to the council regarding research ethics guidance for research projects must be submitted via an electronic form (Nettskjema).
• Researchers must clarify the question or purpose of the inquiry (e.g., advice, discussion, or training).
• Relevant documentation (e.g., project description, approvals, information letters, etc.) must be attached.
• The council's secretariat will conduct a preliminary review and reject inquiries outside the council’s mandate.
• Requests within the council’s mandate will be evaluated by the council.

For questions, feedback, or other inquiries, the Research Ethics Council can be contacted at forskningsetikk@kristiania.no Read the full mandate for Kristiania’s Research Ethics Council here (only in Norwegian).

In this section:

↳ 6.1 Mandate

↳ 6.2 Composition

↳ 6.3  Evaluations by the joint research integrity committee  

↳ 6.4 Meetings and minutes

↳ 6.5  Reporting to the national commission for the investigation of research misconduct  

↳ 6.6  Members of the joint research integrity committee 

6.1 Mandate

Since 2024, Kristiania has maintained a Joint Research Integrity Committee in collaboration with Østfold University College (HiØ). The joint committee reviews reported cases of suspected breaches of recognized research ethics practices. Cases are handled in accordance with the “Guidelines for Handling Cases of Potential Breaches of Recognized Research Ethics Standards at Østfold University College and Kristiania” .

Based on the definition of scientific misconduct in the Research Ethics Act, allegations of deviations from good scientific practices, such as plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification of data, can be submitted to the committee. This also includes other serious breaches, such as unwarranted authorship, intentional misrepresentation and interpretation of data, or data manipulation.

The committee may also address other cases involving suspected severe violations of good scientific practices. However, alleged breaches of integrity norms or deviations from good practices must always appear to be intentional or grossly negligent.

For a case to be reviewed by the Joint Research Integrity Committee, it must be connected to scientific activity at one of the two institutions. The committee is appointed by and reports to the governing boards of each institution, which receive an annual report on the committee's work (the appointment authority is delegated to the Prorector for R&D/Artistic Development Work).

6.2 Composition

The Research Ethics Act requires research ethics committees to have sufficient expertise in research, research ethics, and law and to include at least one member external to the institution. The committee is subject to the conflict-of-interest rules in the Public Administration Act.

The Joint Research Integrity Committee consists of five regular members: a. An external chair, b. Two external members, c. Two internal members. Committee members are appointed by the rector of Østfold University College and the rector of Kristiania for three-year terms. The committee may invite additional members based on the nature of the case. Gender balance must be ensured. The committee is supported by a secretariat, jointly staffed by both institutions, comprising a secretary and an administrative resource.

6.3 Evaluations by the joint research integrity committee

The committee issues written statements on:
a. Whether the researcher has engaged in scientific misconduct.
b. Whether there are systemic issues within the institution.
c. Whether the scientific work should be corrected or retracted.

The committee is a responsive body that addresses issues presented in individual cases. Case handling follows the “Guidelines for Handling Individual Cases of Potential Breaches of Recognized Research Ethics Standards at Østfold University College and Kristiania.” The facts and questions of the case are clarified by the Vice Rector for Research (Østfold) or the Prorector for Research and Artistic Development (Kristiania). The committee does not conduct adversarial hearings.

The committee operates independently under §3 of the Research Ethics Act and cannot be directed.

6.4 Meetings and minutes

The committee holds two meetings per semester (and may hold additional meetings as needed). The secretariat schedules meetings, prepares agendas, and records minutes. Kristiania’s Board receives annual reports on the committee's activities.

6.5 Reporting to the national commission for the investigation of research misconduct

Kristiania is obligated to report all cases of “potential serious breaches” of recognized research ethics standards to the National Commission for the Investigation of Research Misconduct (Granskingsutvalget). This includes cases where scientific misconduct has been identified as well as cases where it has not.

The National Commission may initiate cases independently. However, it is not authorized to impose sanctions for breaches of ethical norms.

6.6 Members of the joint research integrity committee (2023–2026):

• Chair: Prof. Ellen Karine Grov, Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet
• Permanent External Member: Prof. Emeritus Matthias Kaiser, Center for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen
• Permanent External Member: Attorney Julie Dessen, Septer
• Permanent Internal Member: Professor Anna Lydia Svalastog, Faculty of Health, Welfare, and Organization, Østfold University College
• Permanent Internal Member: Associate Professor Erik Thorstensen, Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages, Østfold University College

Kristiania and Østfold University College have agreed to maintain the current composition of the committee unchanged until March 2026. During this period, at least one member from Kristiania must be involved in all cases concerning Kristiania. For the appointment of new regular members to the Joint Research Integrity Committee (March 2026), one regular member from Kristiania will be appointed.