Doctor of Natural Sciences A alleged that researchers and directors of a university had been guilty of falsification or disregard for the responsible conduct of research by failing to refer to A’s dissertation published in 2007. TENK’s statements 2020:1 and 2020:2 are related to the same issue.
According to A, the research results of their doctoral dissertation were completely or almost completely ignored in seven joint publications of researchers. A suspected the researchers of both falsification and disregard for the responsible conduct of research.
In TENK’s opinion, the fact that, in accordance with A’s interpretation, the researchers under suspicion had not sufficiently acknowledged the results of A’s doctoral dissertation in their publications, did not fulfil the conditions for research misconduct by falsification. In addition, the researchers’ behaviour did not demonstrate gross negligence or carelessness at the different stages of the research process, and therefore the criteria for disregard for the responsible conduct of research were not fulfilled.