Research ethics, GDPR and Sikt: make the project sound

Research ethics isn't a form you fill in at the end — it's part of the design. In Norway that means knowing both GDPR and the research-ethics guidelines.

Notification duty and privacy

If your project processes personal data, you usually have to notify Sikt (formerly NSD) before you start. Clarify the legal basis, consent, storage and deletion early. Sorting this out afterwards is both cumbersome and risky; planning it from the start is simple and sound.

Informed consent

Participants should understand what they agree to: purpose, what is collected, how it's used, and the right to withdraw. Consent should be documented and adapted to the group — especially with vulnerable participants. Good consent is both an ethical requirement and a foundation of trust.

Unsure whether the project is notifiable or needs prior ethical approval (e.g. REK for health research)? Clarify it with your supervisor and institution before data collection.

Integrity throughout the project

Research ethics is also about honesty in analysis and reporting: not hiding inconvenient findings, not massaging data, crediting others' work, and being open about conflicts of interest. This integrity is what makes research trustworthy — and publishable.

Common pitfalls

• Starting data collection before the notification duty is clarified.
• Using a generic consent that doesn't fit the participants.
• Treating ethics as an appendix rather than part of the design.

Ready to move on when…

• Privacy and notification (Sikt/GDPR) are clarified.
• Informed consent is documented and adapted.
• Integrity in analysis and reporting is upheld.