Professional Ethics in Research

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering expects that students will respect and maintain
the high ethical standards that govern all phases of research and graduate studies.

The dissertation is not only a representation of a student’s hard work, it is also a reflection on the adviser,
the department, the Graduate School, and the University of Minnesota.
 

I also encourage you to read:

"On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research"

Online Ethics Center - The National Academy of Engineering

National Institute for Engineering Ethics

IEEE Code of Ethics

Ethics Training for Research Assistants on NSF Grants

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires institutions to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to everyone who participates in or conducts research supported by NSF, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff.

Many University of Minnesota courses and seminars meet the research ethics training requirement for NSF. Some are for-credit offerings and some are not. Enrollment for some will be limited to students accepted into a specific degree program. All courses, seminars or other activities must include the following core topics:
Authorship and plagiarism - roles and responsibilities of being an author; how different disciplines approach co-authorship; how to define, identify and avoid the many forms plagiarism can take
Data/research integrity - how to collect, store, protect and share data in ways that protect the validity and accuracy of the research and scholarship
Reporting misconduct - responsibilities of student researchers for identifying and reporting misconduct; University resources for reporting and for self-protection
See the list of approved courses.