Responsible research means publishing, using and assessing information according to commonly accepted principles. The themes of responsible research are linked to research ethics, equality, non-discrimination, sustainable development, research data management, data protection and open science.

As a student of the University of Helsinki, you are part of the scientific community and during your studies, you will gradually learn more about the responsible use and production of information. You do not need to know all the basics of doing research right away. If you are unsure, you can ask your teacher what to do.

If you are collecting material for your coursework or thesis, for example through interviews or a questionnaire, exercise great care when processing personal data and pay attention to data protection.

• Only collect information that is necessary. Before collecting information, ask the persons participating in the study for their consent to the processing of their personal data.
• Identify the risks associated with the processing of data, such as health information related to the subject or the location of endangered plant and animal species.
• Be careful when handling confidential and sensitive information. If necessary, remove data from the material that can be used to identify or locate the subjects/objects.

Learn more about personal data protection in the chapter on Personal privacy in the Student’s digital skills.

-You can learn about good practices for saving, storing and using data throughout their life cycle in the data management guide.
-You can read more about the principles of responsible research on the University of Helsinki’s Research integrity webpage.