Responsible Conduct of Research

SUND offers a four-hour workshop on responsible conduct of research to all postdocs and assistant professors. The aim of the workshop is to promote responsible conduct of research in a Danish context through case-based presentations and group discussions. The course is in line with the Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, which stipulates that all postdocs should be offered guidance in issues related to research integrity.
The workshop is based on case studies and provides the opportunity for participants to reflect on their own experiences.

Topics include:
1. Authorship and collaboration
2. Data acquisition and data management
3. Conflict of interests
4. Research misconduct

The workshop will address questions, such as:
• How do I maintain my freedom of research if my research is funded by a private company?
• What are the responsibilities of an independent researcher or group leader?

Please note that it is mandatory to participate in the RCR workshop for all postdocs and assistant professors employed at SUND, including PhD students who have participated in RCR1 and RCR2 during their PhD studies at SUND.

If you have any questions, please send an email to FAK-PHDkursus@sund.ku.dk

The EMBO course is focused on everyday aspects of responsible research practices for designing experiments and acquiring and processing data and images. It is delivered by EMBO Solutions GmbH and is designed to teach PhD students how to ensure that their scientific planning, experimental conduct, analysis, and publishing are of high quality, and that their personal conduct, as scientists, is appropriate and responsible. The course was developed by EMBO Press editors and is a full day of training centered around practical small group exercises that encourage participants to reflect on their approach in handling images and support them to learn from their peers and the trainers about the appropriate scientific practice. 

The participants will use their own research projects as a basis for learning the principles of good scientific conduct, as well as practical strategies to apply these standards in their day-to-day work. They will gain a better understanding of the dos and don’ts of performing and sharing scientific research and will realize that image integrity is important and valuable not only for the scientific record, but also for their own work and career.

Next workshop: 23 November

Register online and remember enrollment deadline: 23 October 2023. 

All incoming PhD theses and doctoral dissertations are screened for duplicate text. The screening is carried out by the Royal Library and is done to ensure the high academic standards of the work carried out at SUND.

»  Process for screening of PhD theses

»  Process for screening of doctoral dissertations

Research data management is a collective term for the planning, collecting, processing, sharing, storing and archiving of research data. Anyone working with data is required to account for their collection, storage and use of data.

Good research data management is becoming increasingly important for researchers

UCPH has a policy which describes what is expected of researchers and students working at the Faculty and provides tools for, and guidance in, research data management.

»  UCPH data management policy

Data management plans (DMPs)

Data management plans are documents in which researchers can describe what actions they will undertake to manage their research material and data during and after a research project. DMPs are typically drawn up before data collection starts and are increasingly becoming required components in funding proposals or funded projects.

Read more about Data Management at KUnet (for UCPH employees).

Questions and support: data@sund.ku.dk

Research projects containing personal data and research biobanks as well as biobanks must comply with the rules of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679). This means 

1. that research projects containing personal data and research biobanks as well as biobanks must be registered in the University of Copenhagen’s joint record of biobanks and record of research projects containing personal data, 

2. that research projects containing personal data and biobanks must be approved by the Faculty Secretariat. 

3. that personal data and biobanks must be stored securely 

Find more information and the registration form 

Central readings

• Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
• Avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: A guide to ethical writing 
• RCR - a Danish textbook in Responsible Conduct of Research

RCR at the University of Copenhagen

• Responsible conduct of research at KU (the Researcher Portal on KUnet)
• Code for Authorship at University of Copenhagen (KUnet)

International guidelines
SUND's research is conducted to high professional standards, within a culture that complies with Danish and international standards for responsible conduct of research.

• Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (Vancouver Guidelines)

National Committee on Research Misconduct

• The Danish Committees for Scientific Dishonesty (DCSD). Handles cases on research misconduct.
• The Committee's guidelines

The Practice Committee at the University of Copenhagen

• The Practice Committee assesses issues of good scientific practice at the University of Copenhagen.