<div class="d-highlight"><p><a href="https://tenk.fi/sites/default/files/2023-05/RI_Guidelines_2023.pdf">The Finnish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and Procedures for Handling Alleged Violations of Research Integrity in Finland 2023 (RI Guidelines 2023, PDF)</a></p></div>

<p>Research integrity forms part of the self-regulation of the academic community, within the framework set by legislation. It also forms part of the quality systems of research organisations. Responsibility for adhering to Research integrity lies primarily with each individual researcher and member of a research group, but the entire research community also shares this responsibility.</p><p>Research integrity includes:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e105e9feaf113e5181325d27a4a110d79">Honesty, general diligence and accuracy at all stages of research</li><li data-list-item-id="e68aeb75bd2e33d5be457f1418c903bf0">Ethically sustainable methods of data collection, research and evaluation</li><li data-list-item-id="e6b1638c3f45b62af6bb83f17b3cc404d">Openness and responsible science communication when publishing research results</li><li data-list-item-id="e903dd93de40de7e1c3f0de245a9be755">Proper acknowledgement of the work and achievements of other researchers, for example through appropriate referencing practices</li><li data-list-item-id="eefe0eddbc43c4fc6c4d396b81a40d1ff">Planning and conducting research in accordance with the requirements set for scientific knowledge</li><li data-list-item-id="e1417040157a677174eef2dae441770ed">Obtaining the necessary research permits and, where required, carrying out ethical pre-review</li><li data-list-item-id="ee26ba6a2b91a2f549d339f72f3a6256c">Agreeing on the rights, principles of authorship, responsibilities and obligations of research project or team members, as well as issues related to the use of and access to data, in a manner accepted by all parties</li><li data-list-item-id="eeb7da2cc23d47ab6df89523eeceb8870">Declaring any conflicts of interest to relevant parties and research participants, and reporting them when publishing results</li><li data-list-item-id="e078538fd629a9aef9cb6efdd78c8b3b6">Refraining from evaluation and decision-making situations where the researcher has reason to suspect they may be conflicted</li><li data-list-item-id="e5c7d9c658eb9070178a284c73a7fda21">Adhering to good personnel and financial administration practices and ensuring appropriate data protection</li></ul><p>Research integrity must be followed when acting as a researcher, teacher, supervisor, applicant for funding or a research position, and in expert roles. The guidelines apply not only to research activities but also to teaching materials, statements, evaluations, CVs and publication lists. Publications may be printed, oral or electronic. Researchers must also observe research integrity in societal interaction contexts, such as social media.</p>

Research integrity

<p>In Finland, misconduct in research is categorised as either <strong>research misconduct</strong> (fabrication, falsification and plagiarism) or <strong>disregard for research integrity</strong>. Both constitute violations if sufficiently serious. The seriousness is assessed case by case.</p><p>Violations of GSP include (TENK 2023, p. 15):</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e566c67b7bcf448eaa7d2c842ce39991d">deliberate serious misconduct in breach of research integrity; or</li><li data-list-item-id="e4c06b989156b2ecbdd84470fd0b9df31">serious neglect of research integrity due to carelessness or indifference, despite having had the opportunity to comply; or</li><li data-list-item-id="ea726e9e25eb7d4a8497338ace369d737">serious neglect caused by ignorance resulting from failure to familiarise oneself with the relevant practices, despite having had the opportunity to do so</li></ul><p>Not all cases of misconduct or negligence meet the threshold of a violation. Scientific disagreements or differences of opinion are not violations. A groundless or malicious allegation of misconduct may itself constitute a violation.</p><p>Allegations are handled in accordance with the process defined in the TENK guidelines.</p>

Violations of research integrity

<p>At TAMK, allegations of violations are handled in accordance with&nbsp;<a href="https://tenk.fi/sites/default/files/2023-05/RI_Guidelines_2023.pdf">TENK’s guidelines</a>. The process includes:</p><ol><li data-list-item-id="e132921f9673a89dfb43d3a8a5dbe999d">Written notification and initiation</li><li data-list-item-id="ec54ff9b544d750b34ec737c20814b10c">Preliminary inquiry</li><li data-list-item-id="efdb754e68fd9fcefb6e9b64609f7ff9e">Full investigation</li></ol><p>A brief overview is provided below; detailed procedures are available in TENK’s official guidelines.</p><h3>Overview of the process</h3><p>The process begins when a written notification is submitted using TAMK’s official form. The President handles the case. The process officially begins on the date the organisation receives the notification.</p><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2026-05/notification-form-for-an-alleged-ri-violation_20230906.pdf"><span>Notification form for an alleged RI violaton (PDF, 185.33 KB) </span></a></div></figure><p>The President decides whether to initiate a preliminary inquiry. This may be omitted if the case falls outside the scope of the guidelines or is clearly unfounded. Legal matters are handled separately.</p><p>The preliminary inquiry assesses whether the allegation has grounds. The parties involved are heard in writing, and a report is submitted to the President. If the allegation is unfounded, the case is closed.</p><p>If there is reason to suspect a violation, a full investigation is initiated. A separate investigation is unnecessary if the preliminary inquiry already confirms a violation and the parties accept the outcome.</p><p>The President appoints an investigation group including subject-matter experts, at least two of whom are external to TAMK. The group produces a final report.</p><p>The President makes the final decision. The entire process must be completed within three months. Parties may request a statement from TENK within 30 days of the decision.</p><h3>Research ethics contact person</h3><p>Research ethics contact persons provide confidential advice in cases of suspected misconduct. At TAMK, this role is held by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/people/pia-keiski">Principal Researcher Pia Keiski.</a></p><p><a href="https://tenk.fi/en/research-integrity/research-misconduct">More information on violations of research integrity and the handling of allegations (TENK website)</a></p>

Handling allegations at TAMK

<p>IIn Finland, all research involving human participants follows these general ethical principles:</p><ol><li data-list-item-id="eeb1b2dad388565354713be1b18a781e8">Respect for human dignity and self-determination</li><li data-list-item-id="e66e2638bbf4c9e712b06b120745f259f">Respect for cultural heritage and biodiversity</li><li data-list-item-id="e61695c64eedeb24bc307724abae67667">Avoidance of significant risks or harm to participants</li></ol><p>All research must also comply with TENK’s guidelines on research integrity. Academic freedom is guaranteed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finlex.fi/en/legislation/translations/1999/eng/731">Constitution of Finland</a> but must be exercised responsibly.</p><h3>Medical research</h3><p>Medical research is governed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1999/19990488">Medical Research Act (488/1999),</a> as well as the Biobank Act (688/2012) and the Tissue Act (101/2001).</p><h3>Non-medical research involving humans</h3><p>Such research must follow TENK’s guidelines:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finlex.fi/en/legislation/translations/1999/eng/731">Ethical principles of research involving human participants and ethical review in the human sciences in Finland (2019</a>).</p><p>This guideline applies not only to the humanities and social sciences but also, for example, to research in the natural sciences and engineering involving human participants, artistic research, and in some cases to non-invasive health or medical research involving humans. The guideline and the ethical principles it contains must be followed, even if the research design does not require prior ethical review.</p><p>Key considerations include:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e02d0327782cbe2f18425cb5cdd14c097">Research permits</li><li data-list-item-id="eba9c97b0d8ba326c05457126804b0b95">Participant information sheets</li><li data-list-item-id="ebc94f1c53cb62074b0b824e96431ebfc">Informed consent</li><li data-list-item-id="e7f81b3e7acfefe7f43e289ce2a13c70c">Personal data processing and data protection</li><li data-list-item-id="ea014af00a7f90b91617d41cc8d0339f4">Ethical review</li></ul><h3>Permission to carry out research</h3><p>See the section Research permits and decisions based on data access requests on this page.</p><h3>Participant Information</h3><p>Information must be clear and understandable, avoiding jargon. It must explain what participation involves.</p><p>See the EU’s&nbsp;<a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FI/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679&amp;from=FI">General Data Protection Regulation, Articles 13 and 14</a>.</p><h3>Information to be provided to participants</h3><p>The information provided to participants must include the following:</p><ol><li data-list-item-id="e9ab5c5db9922614473908988f98af47f">Contact details</li><li data-list-item-id="e5417ced14936f488408e629e24b36e96">The topic and purpose of the research. An indication of whether the research will benefit or potentially harm participants, with justification. Information on how the research will be carried out, in particular what participation concretely involves (e.g. the amount of time required)</li><li data-list-item-id="e83c67563f443f7c635d809dac6353ad8">How the data will be collected</li><li data-list-item-id="e0203fe5f944e72b7dd03c7c135bb6c94">Voluntary participation. It should also be stated whether participants will receive compensation. Participants must be informed that they may withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason and without negative consequences. It is recommended to state that withdrawal does not prevent the use of data collected up to that point</li><li data-list-item-id="e26b6c29571c49fc78962a0c305896ae3">Confidentiality in the handling of research data</li><li data-list-item-id="eedee1c71d1972ae164b25b9d83e6784f">Processing of personal data and the linking of register and document data to information provided by participants (see in more detail the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/en/services/data-management-guidelines/informing-research-participants/">Finnish Social Science Data Archive’s <em>Data Management Handbook</em>, section on layered information</a>; see also the section on ethical consent)</li><li data-list-item-id="ea3b8e1e742e44c16c6841d88e6bccffb">Participants’ privacy in research publications</li><li data-list-item-id="e3433d09c3f90220e75997b0aa6f7ff70">Information on the further use and archiving of research data</li></ol><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/public/2024-10/tiedotemalli.english.21.2.2024.doc"><span>Information sheet template (DOCX) (DOC, 42 KB) </span></a></div></figure><h3>Informed consent</h3><p>A <strong>consent form</strong> to be signed by participants, or a description of how consent to participate is given and documented.</p><p>The Ethics Committee for Human Sciences in the Tampere region recommends written consent if:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="effa8234452d694801afa7f70b5ec2f9c">the research interferes with physical integrity (and does not fall under the Medical Research Act), or</li><li data-list-item-id="e0a5cf00b505f2a2143a4eb54a583e828">identifiable data is analysed and the research data contain sensitive information (special categories of personal data under the GDPR)</li></ul><figure role="group"><div class="embedded-file"><svg height="25" width="25" aria-hidden="true" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><polygon points="22 18 22 20 2 20 2 18 0 18 0 20 0 22 2 22 22 22 24 22 24 20 24 18 22 18"></polygon><polygon points="12 18 18.55 11.46 17.09 10 13 14.09 13 2 11 2 11 14.09 6.91 10 5.46 11.46 12 18"></polygon></svg><span class="visually-hidden">Download</span><a href="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/proxy/restricted/2024-12/suostumuslomake.tutkimus.englanninkielinen.docx"><span>Consent form template (DOCX) (DOCX, 64.02 KB) </span></a></div></figure><p>If separate consent is requested from the parent or guardian of a minor, this must also be attached to the request for a statement submitted to the ethics committee. If a participant is unable to provide valid consent due to mental disorder, intellectual disability or a comparable reason, consent must be obtained from the participant’s guardian or legal representative.</p><h3>Processing of personal data and data protection</h3><p>If the research involves <strong>personal data</strong>, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Finnish data protection legislation must be followed. These must also be followed where personal data may emerge in the research or are likely to be included, even if they are not the primary focus of the study.</p><p>When personal data are processed, the documentation must include:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e5a8286b8d33678d88a277f4eb8229f12">a privacy notice</li><li data-list-item-id="e77c782b0527c67b1e01aa477134fc617">a risk assessment</li><li data-list-item-id="e067c6ffa876495b96ee8f41bec6c50b8">a data protection impact assessment (if necessary)</li><li data-list-item-id="e53260915cb5a710bbeeaf2074e5643de">a record of processing activities</li></ul><p>Further information and document templates are available on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/data-protection">research data protection pages</a>.</p><h3>Statement by the Ethics Committee</h3><p>Research designs in non-medical studies involving humans that require ethical pre-review are described on the website of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/research-integrity/ethics-committee-of-the-tampere-region">Ethics Committee for Human Sciences in the Tampere region</a>.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/research-integrity/ethical-review-in-human-sciences-TAMK">TAMK Ethics Committee for Human Sciences</a> is responsible for the ethical pre-review of non-medical research in the human sciences conducted within TAMK-coordinated research, RDI projects and Master’s theses.</p>

Research involving human participants

<p>Ethical pre-review ensures adequate protection of research subjects and strengthens researchers’ legal protection. It does not transfer ethical responsibility away from the researcher or research group.</p><p>Ethical pre-review is required in medical research and in certain types of non-medical research involving humans. Animal experiments require both an operational licence and a project licence. The use of gene technology requires a notification or permit application. See below for further details.</p><h3>Medical research</h3><p>The Regional Ethics Committee of the Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa issues statements on medical research involving humans, as well as human embryos and foetuses.</p><p>Ethical pre-review is regulated by the Medical Research Act (488/1999). In addition to this act, specific provisions on medical research are included in the Biobank Act (688/2012) and the Tissue Act (101/2001).</p><h3>Non-medical research involving humans</h3><p>The TAMK Ethics Committee for Human Sciences is responsible for the ethical pre-review of non-medical research in the human sciences conducted in TAMK-coordinated RDI projects and Master’s theses.</p><p><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/research-integrity/ethics-committee-of-the-tampere-region">The Ethics Committee for Human Sciences in the Tampere region</a> is responsible for organising ethical pre-review for other such research conducted in Tampere.</p>

Ethical pre-review of research

<p>Applying for a research permit is part of good and ethical research practice. If your research or thesis involves the activities of an organisation, public authority (e.g. a municipality or city) or company, or includes interviewing its staff, you should enquire directly with the organisation whether a research permit is required. The organisation grants permits according to its own practices.</p><p>Applications for research permits and for decisions to disclose data for research purposes based on a data request must be submitted using separate forms.&nbsp;The application must include:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e5f67dbe0530aee42f233334c9908c916">a research plan approved by the thesis supervisor or the head of the research group/project</li><li data-list-item-id="ea1d09d08cba70680b4f4004a5e5d926f">a privacy notice</li></ul><p>The research plan must describe:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e4f0baa9b033c877ff1277fa5b3109d56">research methods</li><li data-list-item-id="ee681c1b294b92d64d1c3d982292806fc">how the research data will be collected</li><li data-list-item-id="eaa9465cdcccca4ce8066ac5f645da3bf">who will collect the data</li><li data-list-item-id="ea3682c61fbe9e7643c878b0b2df6021e">how the data will be used</li><li data-list-item-id="e41ed47fd258d3386cd8349254a4b4c10">where and how the data will be stored during and after the study</li><li data-list-item-id="e239fe597376cc05090a834c386ddcc84">how the data will be destroyed</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/en/services/data-management-guidelines/data-management-planning/">Further guidance on data management is available on the Finnish Social Science Data Archive website</a>.</p><p><strong>Tampere University of Applied Sciences</strong></p><p>A research permit is required if you are conducting a thesis, research or development project in which you:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ee34d915f72e89a38f0e25d58c3fc8131">interview or observe TAMK staff, or</li><li data-list-item-id="e3694ae13a8035d1f41bfb124191c3419">conduct surveys among them during working hours</li></ul><p>If you require access to data in TAMK registers or confidential documents, you must obtain a <strong>decision on data disclosure based on a data request</strong> instead of a research permit.</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e2826fc4d284a54065a88f19d8bf08f66"><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/research-integrity/procedure-requesting-research-permission-tampere-university-applied-sciences">Applying for a research permit at TAMK</a></li><li data-list-item-id="eacd201ce1b6fb3204d3d2a55fe2672d9"><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/research-integrity/data-disclosure-requests-for-research-purposes-tamk">Data access request at TAMK</a></li></ul>

Research permits and decisions based on data access requests

<h3>Research data management</h3><p>Research data and their management are a key part of research. As a higher education community, we provide services and guidance for managing research data, as our active research continuously generates new datasets.</p><p>We aim to provide researchers, staff and students with strong capabilities in research data management so that datasets produced within our community are of high quality and unique.</p><h3>Data services of the higher education community</h3><p>Data Services is an expert network coordinated by the library. It provides services and tools for research data management to staff and students within the Tampere higher education community.</p><p>The service includes experts from:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ea8585ddbf9268a3a15c98a5ece42714a">the library</li><li data-list-item-id="e4a5d2b3609fbc8c768c559129a7c6049">research IT</li><li data-list-item-id="e88e99fe7a583c87ed3eedc424e3aad83">research services</li><li data-list-item-id="eddefc0f69bb34fb02ad31fae5cb2a1c9">information security</li><li data-list-item-id="eaad12b4a7d55af1fea4e1afafc4fe34b">data protection</li><li data-list-item-id="e1b2203ec71d020baa2653379fdfd7985">the Finnish Social Science Data Archive</li></ul><p>We organise <strong>data management training</strong> covering:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e2e427678358d3bac44175c482bf672a7">data protection</li><li data-list-item-id="ed7db3160eb97fba3c27193bceb117093">data description</li><li data-list-item-id="ec757bde77245c342853ae858703a4a61">storage solutions</li><li data-list-item-id="eb5d2e10e52ae8a3507a87b6ae30fd2b5">information security</li><li data-list-item-id="e7edcc20540d7ab26e7f0dd173018f6c0">data sharing and opening</li><li data-list-item-id="e18eee5a8ac87d9dad27bbcef60c8052d">other data management topics</li></ul><p>Training content can also be tailored to your needs.</p><p>We maintain a <a href="https://libguides.tuni.fi/researchers-guide/data-management">data management guide</a> for the higher education community, which provides basic instructions and links to additional resources.</p><p>We support data management planning by:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e0b16178d28fb17e431f7e6a5abc151be">commenting on data management plans (e.g. for Academy of Finland funding applications)</li><li data-list-item-id="e8698de3317a54c8ee1f313e03898656e">offering advice on good practices</li></ul><p>You can also contact us when preparing data protection documentation or documents for an ethics committee statement request.</p><p>We also provide <strong>data manager services</strong> for research projects. A data manager is a specialist whose role is tailored to the needs of each project. Tasks may include:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e1a3efbdc8abd91900995492ee72e4072">planning data management and compiling a Data Management Plan (DMP)</li><li data-list-item-id="ed412327960f1f9f310d59e7e627568b0">assisting with data protection documentation and risk management</li><li data-list-item-id="e0230bc47f5a88ab5bd35eb6be06c8132">preparing data for analysis</li></ul><p>Data managers have strong technical and programming skills and work as part of the project team. Part of their salary is covered by the project budget according to allocated hours.</p><p>Contact: <span class="spamspan"><span class="u">researchdata</span> [at] <span class="d">tuni.fi</span><span class="t"> (researchdata[at]tuni[dot]fi)</span></span> </p><h3>Finnish Social Science Data Archive</h3><p>Our separate unit, the <a href="https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/en/services/data-management-guidelines/data-management-planning/">Finnish Social Science Data Archive,</a> is an expert organisation in electronic research data. It is responsible for the long-term preservation of datasets collected to study Finnish society, people and cultural phenomena.</p><p>The Archive:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ea9e68feca78d6c9978fbec71b53765f1">advises on archiving research data</li><li data-list-item-id="ef55f60512a1aaed09a4958e79af41634">provides data for further use</li></ul><p>In addition, our library offers services related to research data management and guidance on open science.</p><p>See: <a href="https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/en/services/data-management-guidelines/data-management-planning/">Data Management Handbook (Finnish Social Science Data Archive)</a></p><h3>Processing of personal data and data protection</h3><p>The data protection practices and policies of our higher education community are based on:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="efff61bf6a2ed2da62991007a0b5b9c76">the Finnish Data Protection Act (1050/2018)</li><li data-list-item-id="e4d8f90b52433086337afb6800f8d86e2">the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679; GDPR)</li></ul><p>If research involves personal data, GDPR and national data protection legislation must be followed. This also applies when personal data may arise or are likely to be included, even if they are not the main focus.</p><p>Required documentation includes:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e804fc3bd022069ea6c852b4903072b22">a privacy notice</li><li data-list-item-id="e0dae8f2c7b2b1bbe52765bdc446f45b2">a risk assessment</li><li data-list-item-id="e9ac3c3487cf33a9dfcdc35874b91af53">a data protection impact assessment (if necessary)</li><li data-list-item-id="e390e3e8d598bd2be24339c3ec9c13389">a record of processing activities</li></ul><p>Further information and templates are available on the research <a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/responsible-science-and-research/data-protection">data protection pages.</a></p><h3>Data protection policy of the Tampere Universities</h3><p><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/data-protection/data-protection-policy">Data protection policy of the Tampere Universities</a></p>

Data management and data protection policy

<p><a class="animated-url-link" href="https://tenk.fi/sites/default/files/2023-05/RI_Guidelines_2023.pdf" rel="noreferrer">The Finnish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and Procedures for Handling Alleged Violations of Research Integrity in Finland 2023 (PDF)</a></p><p><a class="animated-url-link" href="https://www.vastuullinentiede.fi/en">Responsible Research Website</a></p><p><a class="animated-url-link" href="https://allea.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/European-Code-of-Conduct-Revised-Edition-2023.pdf">The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2023 Revised Edition, PDF)</a></p><p><a class="animated-url-link" href="https://www.tenk.fi/sites/tenk.fi/files/TENK_suositus_tekijyys.pdf">Agreeing on Authorship: Recommendation for Research Publications (TENK 2018, PDF)</a></p><p><a class="animated-url-link" href="https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/en/services/data-management-guidelines/">Data Management Guidelines</a></p><p><a class="animated-url-link" href="https://tietosuoja.fi/en/home">Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman</a></p>

Research integrity at TAMK