New Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities

The guidelines were published in Norwegian in December 2021. 

Issuing guidelines and giving statements based on these, are the core tasks for The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH). The first edition of NESH’s guidelines was published in 1993, and revised editions have been published in 1999, 2006 and 2016.

The revised draft of these national guidelines was circulated for public consultation in the autumn of 2020. NESH received input from more than 60 researchers, research institutions, and other research actors. An internal working group reviewed the comments and authored draft formulations, which in turn have been thoroughly discussed and approved of by all NESH members.

In this edition, NESH seeks to emphasise and clarify the fundamental norms of research ethics. The purpose is to highlight NESH’s guidelines as an independent source of ethical reflection and continued discussion in the research community. NESH also highlights that research increasingly is under pressure, and different parties, including commissioners, funders, and collaborators, are co-jointly responsible for ensuring compliance with research ethics. Furthermore, the distinction between ethics and law is underscored to clarify the legal basis for the investigation of scientific misconduct and for dealing with personal data. 

You can find the guidelines in full text here.