Ethical Commitments

The Linguistics Research Centre of NOVA University Lisbon (CLUNL) is a research unit supported by national public funds from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), with the following general objectives:

i) to promote research, development, and scientific dissemination in the field of Linguistics and related areas;

ii) to promote and support the work and research projects of its members;

iii) to promote training and scientific dissemination activities in the field of Linguistics and related areas;

iv) to promote multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research practices;

v) v) to promote scientific exchange with other national and foreign institutions,
in addition to pursuing the specific objectives set out in its strategic plans and annual activity plans.

In order to achieve its objectives and ensure that it conducts scientific research of excellence and relevance to society, CLUNL attaches the utmost importance to meeting and maintaining high standards of integrity and responsibility in its relations with research participants, society, funding bodies, the research community and scientific knowledge itself. This document, approved by CLUNL’s Scientific Council and based on the European Charter for Researchers [1], Ethics in Social Sciences and Humanities [2] and the Legal Framework for institutions engaged in scientific research and development [3], establishes CLUNL’s ethical commitments with a view to providing a framework for the activities of CLUNL and its members, promoting responsible, ethical, and professional conduct.

General Principles

1. Principle of legality: CLUNL members shall act in line with constitutional principles, in accordance with national and EU laws and in accordance with CLUNL’s internal rules.

2. Principle of responsibility: CLUNL members shall conduct research that is relevant to society and original, respecting the principles of intellectual property and joint ownership of data in collaborative research and being responsible for the efficient use of public money.

3. Principle of independence: CLUNL members shall act independently and impartially, respecting their roles and their respective responsibilities and authority.

4. Principle of freedom: CLUNL members shall conduct their research with freedom of thought and expression, including determining working methods and respecting limitations arising from specific research situations (supervision/guidance/management) or operational restrictions (budgetary/infrastructural/protection of intellectual property rights), in accordance with recognised ethical practices and principles.

Knowledge production and scientific culture

I- Professional attitude: CLUNL members shall know CLUNL’s strategic objectives, as well as the procedures required to carry out their activities in accordance with the institution’s internal regulations and shall inform the relevant bodies in the event of any changes, delays, or non-compliance. CLUNL members, regardless of the nature of their relationship with CLUNL, shall be aware of and comply with the legal and contractual obligations and rights governing their working conditions, including regulations on intellectual property rights and the requirements of funding bodies.

II- Good research practices: CLUNL members shall adopt safe and ethical working practices, namely those set out in the document Ethics in Social Sciences and Humanities [2] and take all necessary precautions for health and safety purposes, including those required for data and information retrieval. They shall be aware of and comply with the applicable legal requirements regarding data protection and confidentiality.

III- Supervision and guidance: CLUNL members with supervisory and/or mentoring responsibilities shall establish a positive and constructive relationship with the researchers they supervise and/or mentor, based on effective knowledge transfer and promoting the scientific freedom and autonomy, development, and success of the researchers they supervise. Supervised and/or mentored CLUNL members shall establish a structured and regular relationship with their supervisor(s), including keeping records of the progress of the work and the results of the research and meeting the objectives and deadlines discussed and agreed between the parties in a timely manner.

IV- Project coordination and management: CLUNL members with project coordination and management responsibilities shall maintain a professional and ethical relationship with the research teams and partners, adhering to the principles of sound, transparent, and efficient financial management and cooperating in authorised audits of the research work promoted by funding bodies or ethics committees of the institution(s).

V- Co-operation: CLUNL members shall promote scientific and professional collaboration among themselves and with researchers from other national and international research units, thereby fostering the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge.

VI- Continuous professional development: CLUNL members, regardless of their career stage, shall seek professional and scientific development by broadening their skills and competencies and regularly updating their scientific knowledge.

Dissemination and transfer of knowledge

I. Open science: CLUNL members shall, whenever possible, contribute to open science in accordance with international best practices, guaranteeing free and open public access to scientific knowledge and promoting involvement and interaction with society.

II. Transfer of knowledge: CLUNL members, in compliance with every contractual provision, shall promote the dissemination and exploitation of the results of their research work, including through transfer to other research contexts, innovation projects, or commercialisation.

III. Liaising with society: CLUNL members shall, whenever possible, promote the dissemination of their research activities to society at large and direct engagement with the public, thereby contributing to a better understanding of science by the public and a better understanding of the public’s problems and priorities by science.

In fulfilling its functions and in accordance with the limitations arising from its legal autonomy and legal status, CLUNL follows the general principles and requirements applicable to employers set out in the European Charter for Researchers [1: pp. 17-26], namely those relating to i) recognition of the profession; ii) non-discrimination; iii) research environment; iv) working conditions; v) stability and permanence of employment; vi) funding and salaries; vii) gender balance; viii) value of mobility; ix) access to research training and continuous development; x) access to career advice; xi) intellectual property rights; xii) co-authorship; xiii) supervision; xiv) teaching; xv) evaluation/appraisal systems; xvi) complaints/appeals; xvii) participation in decision-making bodies; xviii) recruitment.

References:

[1] Comissão Europeia (2005), Carta Europeia do Investigador, Directorate-General for Research. https://cdn4.euraxess.org/sites/default/files/brochures/eur_21620_enpt.pdf

[2] Comissão Europeia (2018), Ethics in Social Sciences and Humanities, DirectorateGeneral for Research and Innovation. https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/hi/h2020_ethicssoc-science-humanities_en.pdf.

[3] Decreto-Lei n.º 63/2019 de 16 de maio, que estabelece o Regime Jurídico das instituições que se dedicam à investigação científica e desenvolvimento. https://dre.pt/dre/detalhe/decreto-lei/63-2019-122317422

(wording approved at CLUNL’s Scientific Council meeting of 26/07/2022. Can be downloaded here.)