A, a postgraduate student in economics at a university, co-authored an article in Finnish with the leader of a research project, for inclusion in a Finnish series of scientific publications. A had collected and analysed the data on which the article was based. The project leader’s spouse, who was also a postgraduate student in the department, was cited as a co-author of the article, even though according to A the spouse had mostly only proofread the article.
Later A noticed that the project leader and the postgraduate student had published an identical article in English without A’s knowledge. Additionally, the second article cited the first article as a reference, as if it were a standalone article, which constitutes artificial exaggeration of references. Based on a preliminary inquiry, the chancellor of the university concluded that there had been no RCR violation, and no investigation proper was initiated.
TENK considered that a comparison of the similarities between the two articles was not sufficient grounds for deciding not to start an investigation proper. Therefore it demanded that the university initiate an investigation proper.