Code of Ethics

LITHUANIAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

CODE OF ETHICS

Approved at the General Meeting of the Lithuanian Sociological Association on November 14, 2014.

PREAMBLE

This Code of Ethics defines the general principles of professional and scientific ethics for sociologists.

Membership in the Lithuanian Sociological Association obliges its members to strive for the highest standards of professional and scientific activity and to adhere to the principles of professional and scientific ethics.

This Code of Ethics is not a final document and, if the need arises, may be reviewed, amended, and supplemented.

CORE PRINCIPLES

1. Professional Competence

  • Sociologists must strive to maintain a high level of professional competence, keep up with the latest achievements in their field of research, and recognize the necessity of professional development.

  • Sociologists must be aware of the limits of their professional competence and engage only in activities for which they are competent due to their acquired education and accumulated professional experience.

  • Sociologists must be able to adequately evaluate the quality of their own and their colleagues’ work, identify misleading or erroneous information, and avoid bias in their research.

  • When encountering certain limitations in professional competence, sociologists should consult with their colleagues and acknowledge the assistance provided when publishing research results.

  • Sociologists must respect the differing opinions, theoretical positions, and research methods of their colleagues.

2. Integrity

  • Sociologists must act honestly, fairly, and respectfully in all areas of professional and scientific activity.

  • Sociologists must conduct sociological research honestly and ethically, adhering to the highest standards of professional activity.

  • Sociologists must be impartial toward their colleagues, students, research participants, research clients, and financial sponsors.

  • Sociologists must ensure that no circumstances prevent them from acting professionally.

  • Sociologists must honestly present and publish research results, clearly evaluating all potential political and ethical implications.

  • Sociologists may not infringe upon the rights of research subjects or research clients.

  • It is advisable to avoid forming unreasonable expectations for research participants, clients, or other interested parties regarding the potential impact of research, its results, or their dissemination.

3. Professional and Scientific Responsibility

  • Sociologists must take responsibility for their professional and scientific activity.

  • Sociologists must adhere to openness, a critical perspective, and be impartial.

  • No sociological opinion may be presented as indisputable truth.

4. Respect for Human Rights, Dignity, and Social Diversity

  • Sociologists must respect human rights and dignity.

  • Sociologists must adhere to anti-discrimination principles, respect the diversity of social backgrounds, beliefs, values, and lifestyles, and not tolerate the discrimination of colleagues, students, or research subjects.

5. Social Responsibility

  • Sociologists are aware of their responsibility to the society in which they live and work.

  • Sociologists respect the public’s trust in sociologists’ work and maintain it through professional and ethical activity.

  • Through their professional and scientific activity, sociologists contribute to the well-being of society and the development of sociology as a science.

  • Sociologists are aware that research and public statements can influence society, politics, and public opinion.

  • Sociologists participating in the study process must respect their colleagues and students, be impartial, and present competing theories, opinions, and methods.

  • Sociologists must disseminate the results of sociological research to the public. Sociologists must strive to ensure that disseminated research results are not distorted, misinterpreted, or manipulated. Upon noticing errors in the dissemination of research results, sociologists must seek to correct them.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY STANDARDS

6. Collegiality

  • Group work, cooperation, and the exchange of opinions are an essential foundation for the activities of sociologists.

  • Sociologists must strive to actively cooperate with colleagues at the national and international levels.

7. Conducting Sociological Research

  • Sociologists must respect the rights and dignity of research subjects.

  • Sociologists must guarantee the anonymity of research subjects, the confidentiality of personal data, and privacy.

  • Sociologists are responsible for the choice of research methodology and must inform clients or other interested parties about the possibilities and limitations of research methods and the generalization of results, if any.

  • Sociologists must always inform about the research methods and data sources used.

  • If research subjects are easily identifiable, researchers must ensure they are familiarized with the potential consequences of disseminating research results and agree to participate in the research with a clear understanding of the potential consequences.

  • Payment to informants and respondents as a way to motivate participation in research may be applied but is not encouraged.

  • Consent of research participants to participate in research must be obtained orally or, in exceptional cases, in writing before beginning to collect information.

  • Secret research, where subjects are not informed that they are being studied, should be avoided unless this type of research is the only way to collect necessary information.

8. Public Communication, Data Publishing, and Dissemination

  • The dissemination of research results is an important component of a sociologist’s professional activity.

  • Sociologists participate in public discussions and express expert opinions in public communication media.

  • Sociologists must strive for public access to their research results, provided there are no other previously discussed obligations limiting the dissemination process.

  • Research data is the intellectual property of the researchers.

  • Sociologists inform research clients and sponsors that manipulating research data is impermissible and strive to ensure it does not occur.

  • Sociologists strive to ensure that the results of their research published in mass media are presented honestly, without distortion, and are not manipulated.

  • In publications, the contribution of other scientists, sponsors, technical staff, or other assistants must be indicated.

  • When disseminating results, the research methods and data sources used must be indicated.

  • Published research results may be commented upon and criticized by the professional community, and researchers must have the opportunity to respond to criticism.

9. Plagiarism

  • Plagiarism is intolerable and is considered a fundamental violation of ethics incompatible with a sociologist’s professional and scientific activity.

  • Upon noticing signs of plagiarism, sociologists must inform the Ethics Supervision Committee of the Lithuanian Sociological Association and apply to the Office of the Ombudsman for Academic Ethics.

10. Studies

  • Sociologists must respect and protect the rights of their students.

  • Sociologists must ensure fair competition among students.

  • In the study process, sociologists must be open, critical, and respectful of all scientific perspectives.

  • Teaching content must correspond to the current situation in the science of sociology.

11. Peer Review

  • When reviewing publications, financial support projects, or other similar material, sociologists must respect the confidentiality of the authors and the review process itself.

  • Sociologists must decline to be reviewers if they doubt whether the review process is organized honestly and impartially.

  • Sociologists must decline to review publications, project applications, and reports if they lack the necessary competence to ensure an objective and professional evaluation.

  • The review or evaluation conclusions must clearly state for which non-compliance with professional standards a publication or project was evaluated negatively.

12. Mutual Rights and Obligations of Sociologists, Clients, and Financial Sponsors

12.1. Sociologists must refuse to conduct research if the funding client or sponsor sets conditions that are incompatible with the professional ethics of a sociologist.

12.2. Sociologists must refuse to conduct research if the funding client or sponsor sets conditions that provide for the possibility for the client or sponsor to delay the publication of results or prohibit it entirely if the research results do not meet the interests of the client or sponsor.

12.3. Clients and sponsors must be informed in advance about the limitations of the research methodology and the fact that research results may not meet the expectations of the client or sponsor.

12.4. Sociologists must not cooperate with clients or sponsors seeking non-democratic or discriminatory goals.

12.5. It is desirable that agreements between sponsors and sociologists be formalized in writing.

12.6. When competing for projects, sociologists must refuse to conduct research if the funding provided for it is insufficient.

12.7. When competing for projects, sociologists must not use unfair means that are incompatible with the professional and scientific ethics of a sociologist.

13. Implementation of the Code’s Provisions and Sanctions

  • Violations of sociological ethics, disputes, and complaints are examined by the Ethics Supervision Committee operating within the Lithuanian Sociological Association.

  • The Ethics Supervision Committee of the Lithuanian Sociological Association is elected for a three-year term during the General Meeting of the Association’s members. The Ethics Supervision Committee consists of three persons.

  • The Ethics Supervision Committee of the Lithuanian Sociological Association does not examine anonymous complaints, complaints of a competitive or administrative nature, or those not directly related to the content of this Code of Ethics.

  • Decisions in the Ethics Supervision Committee of the Lithuanian Sociological Association are made by a simple majority vote.

  • Decisions of the Ethics Supervision Committee of the Lithuanian Sociological Association are published on the Association’s website.

This Code of Ethics is prepared based on the codes of ethics and professional activity of the International Sociological Association (ISA) and other national sociological associations.