Responsible scientific conduct

As a supplement to Aarhus University’s guidelines on responsible conduct of research, Aarhus BSS has introduced a set of guidelines particularly applicable to research activities within business and social sciences.

Supplemental standards of responsible conduct of research at Aarhus BSS (pdf)

Aarhus BSS adheres to the policy and guidelines on responsible research practice at Aarhus University as well as the national Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Aarhus BSS emphasises the importance of the requirement for maximum transparency and independence in all phases of the research process as a key criterion in the common guidelines both locally and nationally.

Furthermore, the ongoing work with securing responsible conduct of research at Aarhus BSS is anchored with the management, i.e., the departmental management teams, the faculty management team and, ultimately, the dean. Accordingly, the existence of a university-wide advisory group and the Aarhus University Committee for Responsible Conduct of Research must NOT lead to the local management disclaiming parts of its staff responsibility.

Responsible conduct of research at Aarhus BSS rests on fundamental principles such as maximal transparency and independence, and implies among other things that:

• you design and conduct original and independent scientific work.
• you adhere to the generally accepted methods and requirements for documentation of the research field in question.
• you include any statements or data that may influence the results of your research or the conclusions.
• you present your research results in an objective and unbiased manner.
• you always remain honest in relation to your own data, analyses and results.
• you ensure, to the extent possible, open access to data material.
• you make your results available for public discussion among your peers. 
• you account openly for potential conflicts of interest that may influence the trustworthiness of your research.
• you clearly state whether you are participating in public discussions and debates based on your research results, as an expert in your field or as a private person.
• you inform accurately of and fully acknowledge any persons who have contributed to your research.

Cf. the Vancouver authorship guidelines, the authorship requires that:

• you have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data, and
• you have drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content; and
• you have made the final approval of the version to be published; and
• you have agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work by ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.