At the Faculty of Medicine, a wide variety of research is conducted: basic research, clinical research, and research in the fields of health and nursing. The researchers and postgraduate students of the Faculty constantly face questions and situations which require ethical deliberations concerning test subjects and the public as well as collaboration with other researchers.
Against the background of increasingly complex collaborative relations, the publication process and the distribution of roles and responsibilities among research colleagues, among other things, make ethical deliberations and decisions increasingly demanding tasks. Regardless of field of research and the nature of the ethical problems involved, it is an indispensable requirement that all research within the Faculty is to be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles adopted by the University and the national and international community of researchers.
There are a large number of documents containing recommendations and guidelines, both general and specific for certain fields of research. A great deal of information may be found at:
The Board of Lund University on April 22, 2005 adopted a guide to ethical considerations. Those guidelines, at a general level, apply to all research conducted at the Faculty of Medicine.
All research at the Faculty of Medicine is to be conducted in accordance with the guidelines published by the Swedish Research Council and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. The guidelines are available at:
All researchers are personally responsible that their research conforms with good research practice and established ethical principles. The head of department or equivalent is responsible that heads of research groups, heads of education groups and chief supervisors of postgraduate students are continuously informed and involved in discussions about current decisions and guidelines concerning research ethics. It is also the duty of the heads of research groups and education groups to make sure that all staff with research or research-related duties receive such information and to supervise the application of such decisions and guidelines continuously
It is the responsibility of the head of department or equivalent to take active steps to prevent ethical challenges in research activities from developing into situations where misconduct and fraud may occur. If, nevertheless, such a situation should arise, it is the responsibility of the head of department or equivalent to inform the Dean about the case in question. The Dean decides on the procedure to be followed and steps to be taken.
Lund, February 14, 2008
Bo Ahrén, Dean
Page Manager: Johanna Sandahl
Last modified: 2010-11-01
A law has been in force since 1 January 2004 which deals with vetting the ethics of research that involves humans. It encompasses research involving living persons, but it also covers such areas as research on the deceased, biological material from people and research that involves dealing with sensitive information about people or personal information concerning offences against the law. The most important change since the beginning of 2004 is the establishment as independent authorities of one central ethical vetting board and six local ones.
Animal experiments must be evaluated and approved by a regional ethical committee.
On the 24th of October 1998 the Personal Data Act (1998:204) came into force and replaced the out-dated Swedish Data Act from 1973. The Personal Data Act is based on Directive 95/46/EC which aims to prevent the violation of personal integrity in the processing of personal data.
Information on the procedures and regulations and forms for notification of the processing of personal data can be downloaded directly from LU's website:
Lund University has regulations for handling cases of suspected scientific misconduct:
