Ethical principles

Presented at the Spring Meeting of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters on September 4, 2020.

The ethical principles of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters

These ethical principles apply to the research activities and other actions as a researcher of each member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters within the scientific community and the society.

  1. Integrity
    Members of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters may not plagiarise or falsify research results, and they must act in accordance with good scientific practice in all other regards as well.
  2. Objectivity
    Members must act impartially and independently without allowing inappropriate motives influence their activities. Any financial or other liabilities that might be relevant for assessing their objectivity must be made known.
  3. Sustainability
    Members must, insofar as naturally feasible within their activities, promote environmental, social, cultural, financial, and societal sustainable development and to provide their scientific expertise to support social decision-making. Scientific offspring must be supported and continuity in science must be protected. Each member must ensure that they have sufficient competence for their activities and that these activities are carried out in a precise manner.
  4. Confidentiality
    Members must act objectively and in a trustworthy manner during peer review and give previous research the value it merits through references and otherwise. Information that must be kept secret or is otherwise confidential may not be disclosed, and the information must be kept safe in an appropriate manner.
  5. Professional behaviour
    Members must act appropriately towards other people and refrain from discrimination, harassment, and abuse of a dominant position.

The membership of any member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters who breaches these ethical principles may be terminated under the rules of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters or the Finnish Associations Act.

Guidelines for Using AI at the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters

Guidelines for the Office of the Academy of Science and Letters on the use of AI. Published on May 21, 2024.

I always use AI responsibly and ethically. In practice, this means the following:

  1. I regard AI as a tool that supports and complements my own expertise.
  2. I ensure that the information produced by AI is accurate and relevant, and I do not blindly accept AI-generated responses.
  3. I take responsibility for the decisions I make and ensure that AI’s role remains solely supportive.
  4. I improve and refine the content generated by AI either by myself or in collaboration with others.
  5. I share AI-related experiences and usage methods with colleagues to deepen knowledge within the work community.
  6. I approach AI with curiosity as a learning opportunity and challenge myself to experiment.
  7. I maintain data security and do not input sensitive or confidential information into the AI.