Ethics in research

Ethical conduct in research work is key to achieving a basic scientific mission. 

UP employees and students have to carry out the research work in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the UP.  

In 2017, the ALLEA association of European academies issued a European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. The latter is a generally recognized framework for self-regulation in all research areas in the EU. The European Commission recognizes it as a research integrity reference document for all EU-funded projects and as a model for organizations and researchers across Europe.

Researchers and students who plan a research involving ethical dilemmas or sensitive content are obliged to obtain ethical consent to the research prior to the research implementation phase. They can obtain ethical consent from the competent commission at the faculty of origin, the university commission (for research involving working with people) or the commission at the national level (National Medical Ethics Committee of the Republic of Slovenia, Ethics Commission for Animal Experimentation). 

The Commission of the University of Primorska for Ethics in Human Subjects Research (KER UP) shall consider and conduct ethics assessments of research involving human subjects or secondary data, which do not fall under the competence of the state ethics commissions. The Commission has five members and is chaired by Assoc. Prof. Vita Poštuvan, PhD.  

The Commission shall consider the applications of UP employees or students for research taking place at UP. The Rules for the processing of the applications and the Rules amending the Rules define the procedure of ethical assessment.  To start the process, the applicants have to complete the application form and the form for the informed consent of the participant and send both to the e-mail address szrrd@upr.si. The Commission will make efforts to decide on the application as soon as possible, no later than 30 days after receipt of a formally complete application. However, this time frame may be extended during the annual holidays and in the case of a higher number of applications received over a shorter period of time. 

KER UP informs that applications will not be processed during the summer holidays. Applications, submitted during the summer months, will go into the procedure after mid August 2022.

Further information can be obtained at the Sector for Research, Development and Arts Activities of the UP, via e-mail szrrd@upr.si.