Silhouet foto Miguel Bruna on Unsplash

Theme 5: Good research practice

Honesty, scrupulousness, transparency, independence, and responsibility are the guiding principles for good research. Not considering these principles as guiding threatens both the quality and the reliability of scientific research and that of the individual scientist and the university as an institution.

This can lead to direct damage, for example to the environment or test subjects, but can also damage society’s trust or the trust between scientists themselves.Tilburg University endorses the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2018), as adopted by Universiteiten van Nederland. We expect you to comply with this code and to do everything possible to promote compliance in your academic environment. Tilburg University is committed to the protection and safeguarding of scientific integrity and has set itself the goal to

  • Prevent misconduct and violations.
  • Raise awareness and create a culture of openness and transparency.
  • Ensure a transparent process in assessing cases where scientific integrity may be compromised.

On this site you will find the Code of Conduct in brief. The full text in the PDF is leading at all times.

Our 11 ground rules for good research practice

  • 1

    Principles of scientific integrity

    You maintain the principles of scientific research

    You conduct scientific research in accordance with the principles of honesty, scrupulousness, transparency, independence, and responsibility in accordance with Chapter 2 of the Code of Conduct for Research Integrity.

  • 2

    Standards of good research practice

    You meet the standards of good research practice

    You meet the standards of good research practice that apply during the various phases of research (design, execution, reporting, assessment and peer review, and communication), in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, Sections 3.2 through 3.7

  • 3

    Open and inclusive culture

    You ensure an open, inclusive and equal opportunities culture

    As a supervisor, project leader, research director, manager or director you ensure an open, inclusive culture and equal opportunities culture.

  • 4

    Encouraging compliance

    You stimulate the compliance with the standards for good research practice

    As a supervisor, project leader, research director, manager or director you stimulate the researcher to comply with the standards for good research practice. You refrain from actions that encourages the researcher not to comply with one or more standards of good research practice.

  • 5

    No delay or obstruction

    You do not delay or obstruct the work of other researchers

    You do not unduly delay or obstruct the work of other researchers.

  • 6

    Responsibility for supervision of PhD projects

    You provide professional guidance and assessment

    As a thesis supervisor(s) or project leader, you ensure based upon your role as supervisor that the researcher you supervise meets the quality and integrity requirements and that the researcher complies with the procedures. Members of the PhD Committee ensure a professional assessment of the thesis.

  • 7

    Discuss/report

    You raise the issue if others do not apply good research practices

    You raise the issue if others do not apply good research practices or if the reactions to these practices are insufficient. You can report this to your manager, (Vice-)Dean, or confidential advisor on academic integrity. You do not make an accusation of violation of the scientific integrity that you know or should have known is incorrect.

  • 8

    Lawful and efficient use of research funds

    You do not make improper use of research funds

    You do not make improper use of public and/or private research funds made available.

  • 9

    Academic freedom

    You ensure academic freedom

    In scientific research, you ensure that no restrictions are imposed by third parties that conflict with academic freedom In addition, you carry out your research independently and you prevent conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof.

  • 10

    Open Access

    You make research information and data publicly available

    In the case of scientific research, you make research information and research data as publicly available as possible (open science) after the research, you choose where possible to publish the research results in an Open Access journal, and you place the digital version of the publication in Pure insofar as permitted by copyright.

  • 11

    Declaration of scientific integrity

    You sign for compliance with the Code of Conduct

    By signing an employment contract or hosting agreement, academic staff and full professors who do not have a permanent employment contract with Tilburg University confirm that they are committed to responsible research and that they will do everything in their power to promote compliance with this Code of Conduct in their academic environment. All PhD candidates sign such a declaration in the PhD tracking system (Hora Finita).

Further details and guidelines

What if things go wrong?

You suspect an infringement of scientific integrity. This concerns consciously or subconsciously influencing or wrongly interpreting research results, inventing data, bias or dependence in research, plagiarism or violation of copyright or other misconduct of colleagues. 

Below you see where you can go. You don’t have to follow all the stops. If you prefer to skip a stop, you can, it’s especially important that you enter into discussion!

Roadmap: where can you go

Student
  1. The person concerned.
  2. Lecturer.
  3. Academic counselor or Dean of Students.
  4. Vice dean or Dean.
  5. Confidential advisor Academic Integrity
Employee
  1. The person concerned
  2. Colleagues, peers
  3. Manager
  4. Confidential Advisor PhD candidates
  5. Confidential advisor Academic Integrity
  6. Academic Integrity Committee
PhD Candidate
  1. The person concerned.
  2. Colleagues, peers.
  3. Supervisor.
  4. Director of Graduate School.
  5. Confidential Advisor PhD candidates.
  6. Confidential advisor Academic Integrity
  7. Academic Integrity Committee
Download the roadmap

Where you can go when, you will also find in the roadmap