According to the Code of Conduct for Academic Integrity (in German only) of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, Academic integrity is based on four principles:
- Reliability in terms of ensuring the quality of research and teaching in order to maximize credibility and trust in science. Reliability refers in particular to its design, methodology, and analysis of a research project. It also includes transparency and traceability.
- Honesty in the development, design, implementation, review, assessment, reporting, and communication of research and teaching. These are carried out in a transparent manner and with the aim of achieving the greatest possible impartiality.
- Respect for colleagues in science, people in training, study and research participants, society, cultural heritage, ecosystems, and the environment. This takes into account the diversity of the people involved and recognizes their specific backgrounds.
- Responsibility for research in every step, from its initial idea to the valorization and transfer, for its administration and organization, as well as for training, supervision, careful use of resources, and support.
These four principles “form the basis for the independence and credibility of science and its disciplines […] as well as their acceptance by society” (11).
Students and researchers are committed to these principles. You can see what this means in concrete terms for your studies in the Integrity Regulations of the University of Lucerne (in German only) and in the Information Sheet on Academic Integrity of the Lucerne University of Teacher Education (in German only).
When these principles are implemented in daily research work, we refer to this as good academic practice. The Federal Institute of Technology Zurich highlights the following points on its website:
- Transparency of sources and avoidance of plagiarism
- Honesty in determining authorship
- Responsible handling of research data
- Publication of research results and openness to exchange and reproduction
- Correct indication of affiliation(s) in publications
- Good supervision of young scientists
- Respect for human rights and fairness in international cooperation
- Willingness to provide expert opinions and to participate in peer reviewing
- Disclosure of conflicts of interest
You can find more information on correct citation and avoiding plagiarism here: