Academic Integrity and data

The Bernoulli Institute subscribes to the academic integrity regulations of the University of Groningen (UG) and the Faculty of Science and Engineering, which apply the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Accordingly, the BI upholds professional academic practices and ethically sound teaching and research.

The BI staff and the BI PhD students are expected to become informed about the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and to abide by it:

• The Code is discussed in the annual Result and Development interviews of staff members and PhD students
• The PhD students attend the mandatory module on scientific integrity organized by the Graduate School of Science and Engineering

The following principles of scientific integrity should be respected by all BI researchers

Honesty

reporting the research process accurately, taking alternative opinions and counterarguments seriously, being open about margins of uncertainty, refraining from making unfounded claims, refraining from fabricating or falsifying data or sources and refraining from presenting results more favourably or unfavourably than they actually are.

Scrupulousness

using methods that are scientific or scholarly and exercising the best possible care in designing, undertaking, reporting and disseminating research.

Transparency

ensuring that it is clear to others what data the research was based on, how the data were obtained, what and how results were achieved and what role was played by external stakeholders. If parts of the research or data are not to be made public, the researcher must provide a good account of why this is not possible. It must be evident, at least to peers, how the research was conducted and what the various phases of the research process were. At the very least, this means that the line of reasoning must be clear and that the steps in the research process must be verifiable.

Independence

not allowing the choice of method, the assessment of data, the weight attributed to alternative statements or the assessment of others’ research or research proposals to be guided by non-scientific or non-scholarly considerations (e.g., those of a commercial or political nature). In this sense, independence also includes impartiality. Independence is required at all times in the design, conduct and reporting of research, although not necessarily in the choice of research topic and research question.

Responsibility

acknowledging the fact that a researcher does not operate in isolation and hence taking into consideration – within reasonable limits – the legitimate interests of human and animal test subjects, as well as those of commissioning parties, funding bodies and the environment. Responsibility also means conducting research that is scientifically and/or societally relevant.

More information about the UG structures for academic integrity (e.g. the confidential advisors) is available here. The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (e.g. good research practices, data management, etc.) is available here