Report suspected misconduct 

Suspicion that an employee at UiB or a student on one of the university’s doctoral programmes has violated recognised research ethics norms must be reported to the head of department at the department to which the employee or PhD student is affiliated. The report must state the name of the person(s) who are under suspicion and the basis for the suspicion. As far as possible, the basis for the suspicion must be documented.  

Employees at UiB can choose to notify the faculty, alternatively one may also report the suspicion directly to the secretariat of the Research Ethics Committee at UiB (see contact information in fact box).  It is also possible to contact the secretariat for advice and guidance. 

One may also report suspicion electronically through a digital notification form. The service allows one to report suspicion anonymously, but then UiB will not have the opportunity to obtain more information from the person(s) submitting the notification. An anonymous report should therefore contain enough information so that UiB is able to further process the case.   

Persons accused of censurable conditions have the right to know about the content of the report, gain access to the case and make a statement regarding the accusation. The individual or individuals accused may also be summoned to separate meetings to shed light on the matter. If UiB’s Research Ethics Committee concludes that the accused has acted in a scientifically fraudulent manner, the decision may be appealed to the National Commission for the Investigation of Research Misconduct by the person or persons who have been accused of scientific misconduct.  

One should not experience negative consequences (retaliation) as a result of reporting suspected misconduct.  

As a general rule, if you report a possible violation of recognised research ethics norms at UiB, you will not be part of any further proceedings. However, UiB will contact you if further information is required to shed light on the case. You will receive confirmation that the case has been received and be informed when the case is closed.