Misconduct

At ULiège, the Board of Ethics and Scientific Integrity (C.E.I.S.) ensures compliance with the rules regarding research

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lthough it is illusory to try to establish a strict border between what is allowed and what is forbidden regarding ethics given that the details of situations and research fields are many and varied, certain behaviours are universally recognised as unacceptable. Establishing an inventory of them, necessarily partial and ongoing, is a useful guide for the researcher and can serve as a first reference in case of doubt or a problem.

The severity scale of misconduct is not uniform either, therefore instead of ranking them in a rigid and definitive fashion, it is better to evaluate according to each individual case the importance of the harm done to society, to science, to the institution to which belongs the author of the breach, and to the other scientists who may be victims of it.

In the event of suspected misconduct, the university recognises the right of each of its members to initiate the procedure defined for this purpose, whether they are directly concerned (personally harmed) or not.

see the outline of the procedure

Regardless of your question, contact a person that you trust as soon as possible. Ideally, your immediate supervisor, the president of the research unit, the thesis director, the dean. If this is difficult for you, other individuals are also available to you:

• Within ethics committees and commissions, of which the list of members is published on their specific pages
• Within the department of legal affairs, of the doctoral department, of the personnel department.

They will listen to you and guide you.

A complaint for observed misconduct or a request for an opinion on specific issues can be submitted to the CEIS.

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