Research ethics

As of January 1, 2004, there is a new law on ethical testing of research. It covers research on living human beings, but also, for example, research on deceased persons and on biological material from humans, and research that involves dealing with sensitive personal data. The law also contains regulations on consent to such research.

The purpose of the new law is, of course, to protect the individual, but also to safeguard the respect for human dignity in research.

The law is to be applied to research that involves dealing with:

• sensitive personal data according to the law on personal data, or
• personal data on transgressions of law that include crime, sentences in criminal cases, criminal procedural coercive measures or administrative deprivation of liberty if the test subject has not given her explicit consent to how the data is treated.

Moreover, the law is applied to research that:

• involves physical tests on a test subject.
• is carried out according to a method that aims at physically or psychologically
  affecting the test subject
• concerns studies of biological material that has been taken from a living person and that can be traced to that person,
• involves physical tests on a deceased person, or
• concerns studies of biological material taken from a deceased person for medical reasons and that can be traced to that person.

Statement 2007-01-22 on Dealing with Allegations of Research Misconduct
Under United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Research-related
Activities for Foreign Institutions