"Notifier" is the individual who submitted a report of possible violations of recognized research ethical norms. "Notified" is the individual against whom such a report is directed.
A researcher from an external institution (Notifier) reported allegations of plagiarism and misrepresentation of their own scientific work in the dissertation of a PhD candidate at UiO (Notified). Notifier and Notified represented two different fields. The allegations concerned a book written by Notifier. Although the book is cited on several occasions in the dissertation, Notifier objects to Notified’s use of several of the same sources as themselves. In particular, this pertains to Notified’s use of the theoretical framework of another author. Notifier believes that Notified presents Notifier’s analysis and historical periodization of this author’s theory without reference to Notifier, thus presenting Notifier’s ideas and concepts as their own.
The Research Ethics Committee at UiO (REC) concluded that Notifier’s contribution is clearly acknowledged by Notified, as Notifier is extensively cited in the introduction chapter of Notified’s dissertation as a part of the theoretical framework of the dissertation. Furthermore, REC believed that the connection between Notifier’s book and the third author is sufficiently indicated in the dissertation.
Consequently, REC concluded that there was no plagiarism, and hence no violation of recognized norms in research ethics. No systematic errors were found. REC’s conclusion in the case was unanimous.
References
- The Norwegian Research Ethics Act (2017) §§ 6 and 8
- The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH): Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (2021), particularly sections 8 and 10
- Standard for Research Integrity at UiO (2021), especially section 3.4
- Guidelines for the Processing of Cases of Possible Violations of Recognized Norms in Research Ethics at UiO (2023)
- The American Historical Association’s (AHA) ‘Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct’
The text has been translated with assistance from UiO GPT.
More statements and summaries from the Research Ethics Committee at UiO