Good Research Practice

There are today a number of codes that are essentials tools in the support of researchers and all those engaged in research at the university. At Karlstad University The Quality model for education and research and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity sets out the standards of performance across all research activities. The primary purpose is to provide academic institutions and the research community with a framework for the continuous work to perform research with the highest standards of integrity. 

The university also endorses the publication Good Research Practice, produced by the Swedish Research Council and directed towards researchers, which addresses relevant legislation and ethical requirements against the background of questions that may arise in research work. The aim is to provide a guide to issues within research integrity, to stimulate thought and to contribute to the debate on responsibility and challenges. 

• KaU Policy: Quality model for education and research
• The Allea: European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
• Swedish Research Council’s Good Research Practice

Below are some recommendations and suggestions for further reading for the practical implementation of good research practices in daily research. They apply to the whole range of research work, including experimental design, generating and analysing data, acting as a reviewer or referee on grant applications or research papers, publishing results, and acknowledging the direct and indirect contributions of colleagues and collaborators.

Research Procedures

Researchers should be honest and ethical in their own actions in research and also in their responses to the actions of other researchers. This means that:

• Researchers take into account the state-of-the-art in developing research ideas.
• Researchers design, perform, analyse and document research in a careful and well-considered manner.
• Researchers report their results in a way that is compatible with the standards of the discipline and, where applicable, can be verified and reproduced.
   
• Swedish Research Council’s Good Research Practice

Reviewing, Evaluating and Editing

Peer-reviewing forms the basis for maintaining the highest standards of research quality. Researchers should therefore take seriously their commitment to the research community by participating in refereeing, reviewing and evaluation.

• Researchers review and evaluate submissions for publications, funding, appointments, promotions or rewards in a transparent and justifiable manner.
• Reviewers or editors with a conflict of interest withdraw from involvement in decisions on publications, funding, appointments, promotions or rewards.
• Reviewers maintain confidentiality unless there is prior approval for disclosure.
• Reviewers and editors respect the rights of authors and applicants, and seek permission to make use of the material.

Training, Supervision and Mentoring 

• Researchers across the entire career path, from junior to the most senior level, should undertake training in
  • ethics and research integrity to ensure that all concerned are made aware of the relevant codes and regulations
  • research design, methodology and analysis
  • skills that are of relevance to ensure high quality research work
• Senior researchers, research leaders and supervisors mentor their team members and offer specific guidance and training to properly develop, design and structure their research activity and to foster a culture of research integrity.

Guidance from the Institution and Professional Authorities

• Researchers should be aware of the expectations of the university as a publicly-funded institution, and should act accordingly. They should ensure that any research undertaken complies with any agreements, terms and conditions relating to the project, and allows for proper governance and transparency.
• All researchers should be aware of, and comply with, the legal requirements which regulate their research.
• Researchers are expected to observe the standards of research practice set out in guidelines published by funding bodies, scientific societies and other relevant professional bodies.

Ethical Approval

All research conducted in the university must be carried out in accordance with the Ethical Review Act (lag 2003:460). This states that ethical review is required for certain kinds of research involving humans, including personal data and biological samples. 

To fully endorse the ethical review legislation, learn about National Ethical Review Authority and Karlstad University ethical review process here. 

• National Ethical Review Authority
• KAU Research Ethics Committee

Safeguards 

• Researchers should handle research subjects, whether human, animal, cultural, biological, environmental or physical, with respect and care, and in accordance with legal and ethical provisions.
• Researchers have due regard for the health, safety and welfare of the community, of collaborators and others connected with their research.
• Research protocols take account of, and are sensitive to, relevant differences in age, gender, culture, religion, ethnic origin and social class.
• Researchers recognise and manage potential harms and risks relating to their research.

Data Practices and Management

The research data management process spans the entire life cycle of a research project. It includes collection, documentation, processing, storing, sharing and archiving of data. In general terms, the validation of and future use of the data is facilitated by working in a structured manner and making the data as FAIR as possible (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reproducible).

In Sweden:

• It is the University that ensures legal and ethical handling of research data, including archiving it (long-term storage). The data produced in public research do therefore not belong to the researcher.
• Researchers must apply with ethical regulations for data management when research involves humans, personal data or animals.
• The Archives Act (1990:782) regulates the handling of all the public documents from the agency’s activities. Research data may be disposed of no earlier than 10 years after the finish of the project.

To learn more about Research Data Management and to contact the Research Data Support team at Karlstad University, please visit:

• Kau.se/Research/Researchdata

Develop your own data management plan:

• DMPonline

Collaborative Research

Karlstad University carries out research collaboration with both private and public organisations. The University’s ambition is to remain an attractive collaborative partner for external partners. These research collaborations can often be stimulating and productive, but also challenging, given that various stakeholders need to endorse different laws, guidelines and standards. When it comes to international collaborations, it is also crucial to ensure that all participants are informed about the relevant rules and legislation in force in the countries involved. Even cultural differences must often be considered and addressed in order to make the project successful.

There is no set checklist to follow in research collaborations, but it is always recommended that the stakeholders consider and agree upon the following topics (if appropriate, by a formal agreement):

• Roles of researchers and responsibilities for management and supervision.
• Research data management. Both country- and sector-specific legislation in relation to ethics and GDPR regulate how data can be collected, stored and shared between stakeholders. A data management plan provides support for everyone in the project.
• Expectations about ownership of intellectual property rights and access rights should be discussed from the beginning and reviewed periodically over the project’s lifetime.
• Sharing of resources, e.g. research infrastructures.
• Determining authorship. Agree on authorship at the beginning of the project. If the project changes or takes a new direction, authorship may change too.
• The shared responsibility for research integrity in the project. Verification of data across institutions and groups may not be feasible, and therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain the highest standards in methodology and data analysis.