Reporting suspected deviations from good research practice

If you suspect research misconduct or other deviations from good research practice, you must immediately report this to the Vice-Chancellor or the Deviations from Good Research Practice Review Board. If the suspicion concerns misconduct only, the report can be made directly to the Swedish National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct (Npof).

If you are unsure what kind of suspected deviation your report concerns, read more here.

The university may raise a question of suspected deviation from good research practice that has come to the attention of the university in some other way.

Report suspected research misconduct

Suspicions of research misconduct are reported to the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct (Npof).

Read more at the website of the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct

Reporting other suspected deviations from good research practice

Suspected other deviations from good research practice are to be reported to the Deviations from Good Research Practice Review Board.

The email address for reports to Lund University is avvikelse_god_forskningssed [at] rektor [dot] lu [dot] se (avvikelse_god_forskningssed[at]rektor[dot]lu[dot]se). A report can also be sent by post to the following address: Lund University, Deviations from Good Research Practice Review Board, Box 117, 221 00 Lund.

Suspicions concerning deviations from good research practice other than misconduct in research are examined by Lund University.

The report should include

• Your contact details as the reporting party. It is possible to be anonymous.
• Details of the person or persons who are suspected of the action (name, email address, organisational affiliation).
• Categorising the suspected deviation.
  • Research misconduct:
    • Fabrication, which means inventing new data and presenting it as real
    • Falsification, which means manipulating research materials, equipment or processes or altering or omitting data or results.
    • Plagiarism, which means using other people's work and ideas without giving proper credit to the original source.
  • Other deviation from good research practice might include:  
    • Improper authorship and publication. Falsely claiming or excluding co-authorship, reusing one's own previous work without proper reference or violating established publication ethics.
    • Obstacles to scrutiny and transparency. Concealing research material, failing to preserve data correctly or otherwise hindering scientific or ethical review.
    • Undue influence and retaliation. Influencing others to engage in unethical behaviour, retaliating against whistleblowers or making false reports with the intent to harm someone.
    • Breach of contract, licence and trust. Using materials in violation of agreements, conducting research without permission, abusing trust or sabotaging the work of other researchers.
• A description of the suspected deviation, when and how it occurred.
• Any documentation that supports the information in the report.
• Any information about the whether the report has also been submitted to other research organisations, public authorities or funding bodies, and if so, which ones?

After the report

What happens after a report is made to the Vice-Chancellor/Deviations from Good Research Practice Review Board

A case is initiated at Lund University when a report of suspected deviation from good research practice is received. When a report is received, the reported person and the faculty concerned are informed. During the investigation, facts are gathered, and the reported party is given the opportunity to comment on the evidence in the case. If, during the investigation, suspicion arises that research misconduct has occurred, the Board is to decide to submit the documents in the case relating to such suspicion to the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct. If necessary, the Board may obtain opinions from one or more external experts.

The investigation is to result in an assessment of whether there has been a deviation from good research practice. The Vice-Chancellor makes the decision on the case.

What happens after a report is submitted to the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct

Both the researcher and the entity responsible for research are informed about reports to National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct. The National Board investigates the matter and, if the allegations are taken up for review, the reported researcher is given the opportunity to comment in writing on the evidence in the case.

In certain cases, external experts are appointed to assist the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct with expertise in the field. The National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct will decide upon the case.

Read more at the website of the National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct

Information about support for those affected

As an employer, the University is to act objectively and provide support to both the reported party and the reporting party. The head of department and line manager with responsibility for work environment should quickly identify which support functions should be linked to the case. 

Lund University cannot provide legal advice about the case to researchers who have been reported.