Research integrity guidelines

In Finland, the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK) sets the research integrity guidelines in collaboration with the research community. These are closely aligned with the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, which EU funded projects must also adhere to. The basic principles of research integrity in the Finnish Code of Conduct are reliability, honesty, respect and accountability. The document outlines good scientific practices as well as defines what constitutes research misconduct, and explains the Finnish process of handling alledged violations of research integrity. 

Aalto University has committed to following The Finnish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and Procedures for Handling Alleged Violations of Research Integrity in Finlandset by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK). This commitment to the guidelines obliges organisations to comply with it in all research activities and fields of science. Thus, the commitment means that every member of the university community (researchers, students, other personnel) must know the requirements of good scientific practice and follow them. 

Adhering to good scientific practice is part of the Aalto Code of Conduct.

Recommendations that support research integrity

To support the research integrity guidelines, the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK) has also published recommendations on agreeing on authorship and CVs researchers. 

• Authorship of research publications. TENK suggests that researchers participating in co-authored publications discuss the principles of authorship as early as possible, in writing. The practices vary across fields of science.
• Curriculum vitae (CV) for researchers. Researcher’s curriculum vitae should only contain verifiable items. This template helps to present an individual’s merits as comprehensively, truthfully and as comparably as possible. The CV template was updated spring 2020.

Research integrity adviser network

Research integrity advisers are trained by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK) and offer Aalto University's researchers support on research integrity matters in a confidential manner. They provide a neutral source of advice on research integrity questions and can guide on how to start an official process of handling misconduct (RCR). They do not make a decision whether scientific misconduct has taken place or not, nor do they start investigating the cases. The research integrity advisers do not handle issues regarding cheating in studies nor ethical pre-reviews.

Research integrity advisers can be contacted directly, details below.