Artistic Research Ethics - A mini-guide

All research has both an ethical and a legal dimension. Here are important information and resources when it comes to planning and carrying out an Artistic Research project.

What are the guidelines for research ethics in Artistic Research?

In 2021, a speciality group was established by Universities Norway - Art, Design, Architecture (UHR-KDA) to suggest national guidelines for research ethics in Artistic Research. A public presentation of the draft of the guidelines took place on 14 March 2023, Oslo. The project is not yet completed, but the intention is to develop common national guidelines for research ethics in Artistic Research. 


You must be aware that your institution might already have developed their own guidelines for research ethics in Artistic Research. You should be in dialogue with your institution to find out what the guidelines are and what kind of resources and supervision the institution can offer you.

Why must you know about the guidelines for research ethics in the Social Sciences and Humanities?

In Norway, there are no national, common guidelines for research ethics in Artistic Research (but there are ongoing effort to develope such guidelines, see above). This means that we on a national level relate to the guidelines for the academic disciplines that might be the ones closest to Artistic Research: the Social Sciences and Humanities: On 16 December 2021 new Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and Humanities were published. You will find the English translation here. 

 

There is also a National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities

What are the Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees?

The Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees are independent agencies for questions regarding research ethics, and investigation of misconduct, within all subject areas. The committees' shared secretariat is based in Oslo.

What is The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity?

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity is a common framework for all fields of research, produced by ALLEA - All European Academies. The framework was last revised in 2017 and is available in more than twenty languages, including English and Norwegian.  

Why should you know about the project `Advancing Supervision for Artistic Research Doctorates´?

A number of tools and resources have been developed to support supervisors in Artistic Research through this international collaboration project. The tools and resources are highly relevant also for research fellows, both when it comes to ethics and topics like for example the art of giving feedback. The project´s web page contains an easy to navigate overview of the output.

How to map research ethics in your project?

Map ethics! is an exposition set up to offer a model or method for running workshops and initiating discussions on ethical issues. The work is part of the Norwegian (University of Bergen) work package in the Erasmus+ project Advancing Supervision for Artistic Research Doctorates (see above). 

Why can SIKT be a resource?

SIKT (earlier The Norwegian Centre for Research Data) is a national centre and archive for research data. They offer resources and advice on data management and data protection in research. Making a data management plan will help you think through challenges and plan for a legal research. You should be aware that the template is made for Sceintific Research, and that it might not work perfectly for Artistic Research. Read about personal data and how to carry out a project without proeccsing personal data.

How does the new and stricter data protection regulation from 2018 influence your artistic research projects? 

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a privacy and security law. It was drafted and passed by the European Union (EU), but it imposes obligations onto organizations anywhere, as long as they target or collect data related to people in the EU (including Norway). The regulation was put into effect on May 25, 2018. This law might influence your research project, for example, if you are planning to record someone's voice. Learn more about personal data, and who should send in a notification form to SIKT.

What is the Act on ethics and integrity in research?

The purpose of the Act on ethics and integrity in research is to ensure that public and private research is conducted in accordance with recognised norms of research ethics. The law is in Norwegian, and is called Forskningsetikkloven for short.