Code of Conduct for Research Integrity

Research, development and creative activity, and teaching them in Estonia is free, and universities and research institutions are autonomous within the limits set by the law (constitution of the Republic of Estonia), but this freedom is not absolute. It is limited by the responsibility for the people, society, nature, culture and environment. Taking responsibility is a prerequisite that ensures the public confidence in research and researchers.
Research integrity shares the responsibility for the compliance with the values and policies between the research institution and the researcher, emphasizing the role of the university in shaping an environment that supports research. The responsibility of the research institution includes:
 
1.    training;
2.    counselling;
3.    shaping the working environment, and
4.    suspicions of breaches of research integrity and the handling of complaints.

A more detailed overview of the responsibilities of the researchers and the university can be obtained from the Estonian Code of Conduct for Research Integrity approved by the university as an agreement, where policies on different parts of research have been brought out: 
1.    planning and conduct of research; 
2.    issues concerning authorship, publishing and application of research results;
3.    research environment, and 
4.    issues concerning the observance, promotion and application of research integrity.

In creating an organisational culture that supports and promotes research integrity, heads of different units of the university as well as each researcher and support staff supporting research play an important role. Researchers have an obligation to follow the principles of research integrity themselves, on one hand, and give their contribution to building an organisational culture that supports research integrity, incl. by helping and advising colleagues, and drawing attention to the principles of research integrity, on the other hand. Particular emphasis is put on supervising and advising the new generation of scientists. As research is based on the mutual trust between researchers in addition to the public confidence in research, it is important that all researchers follow the principles of research integrity and expect their colleagues to do the same.
Research integrity is not equivalent to just refraining from the breach of the principles of research integrity, but constitutes a wider concept that includes adherence to important values as well as such structure of research management which enables to ensure the credibility and integrity of research. Research integrity is characterised by ethically planned and conducted research, ethically prepared and published research publications.
In order to comply with research integrity as well as to handle probable breaches and complaints, a common understanding of what should be considered as behaviour that follows the principles of research integrity or cases of misconduct must develop. This understanding, however, develops in the course of time: the more ethical dilemmas are publicly discussed, the more uniform the understandings become. The treatment of the issues of ethics is further complicated also by the difference of practices by specialities.
The university assumes responsibility for creating the environment and organisational culture that supports research integrity. To this end, the university communicates, trains, prepares guidelines for the implementation of research integrity, and advises students, lecturers and researchers, and cooperation partners.
 

Codes and guidance documents concerning research integrity

Research is based on the ethos of science. Researchers are expected to meet high intellectual demands and to act inherently ethically by reason of their broad knowledge. At the same time, competition for resources and political pressure facilitate a conflict of interests and the resulting unethical behaviour in research. The responsibility of a researcher is to be aware of and adhere to the principles of research ethics in his/her activity, agreed national (Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, 2017) and international (e.g. ALLEA, 2017) principles of research integrity, and regulations governing practices related to research (incl. in connection with research publishing, research cooperation, applying for and implementing research projects, research data, intellectual and property rights, principles of confidentiality, etc.). 
Specific codes of ethics have been established in many disciplines in order to avoid different interpretations of research ethics. These provide additional guidelines to the researchers of the field for conducting responsible research (e.g. The International, Sociological Association's (ISA) Code of Ethics,  Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (BERA), code of ethics of the Union of Estonian Psychologists, etc.). 
Researchers of Tallinn University are advised in regulations and procedures concerning research by the employees of the Research Administration Office, and the research coordinators and assistants of the schools. Current procedures in force in the university and explanatory materials can be found on the intranet.
As regards research integrity and research ethics, an advisory system is being established in the university (see chapter 2.4), trainings are offered (see training calendar) and guidance documents, summarised in the table below, are constantly updated.