Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures of the Republic of Lithuania
Curriculum Vitae Ombudsperson agendaOn October 17, the Adviser of the Office of the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter – the Office), Dr. Rima Sinickė, and the Chief Analyst, Dr. Eglė Ozolinčiūtė, held an online meeting with the community of the Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI). The meeting was conducted in English.
The seminar was opened by Dr. Asta Narkūnienė, a representative of the LEI Academic Ethics Committee, who welcomed the participants and gave the floor to Dr. Eimantas Neniškis. He presented the committee’s activities and the LEI Code of Ethics. Dr. Neniškis also discussed the institute’s key policy documents available in English and moderated the discussion, which was later continued by Dr. Diana Meilutytė-Lukauskienė.
The Office’s Adviser, Dr. Rima Sinickė, presented the main areas of the Office’s activities, while the Chief Analyst, Dr. Eglė Ozolinčiūtė, emphasized the importance of science communication. She introduced the COALESCE project and, within its context, the Science Communication Guidelines for Ethical Academic Communication, which will soon be published in English. Additionally, she discussed the most common academic ethics violations identified in the Responsible Research Barometer 2024, and presented one of the preventive measures – the research data management plan.
During the discussion, participants raised the question of whether quantitative indicators used in the assessment of research performance might indirectly encourage academic ethics violations, particularly those related to publishing and authorship. It was noted that the research community is increasingly emphasizing the need to shift from quantitative to qualitative evaluation criteria in order to foster a more ethical and sustainable research culture.
Participants were also invited to reflect on practical dilemmas and potential situations that may lead to academic ethics breaches in research activities.
In the second part of the seminar, Dr. Rima Sinickė focused on issues of authorship. She discussed the challenges of unethical authorship, explained how authorship contribution and order should be evaluated ethically, and clarified when individuals who contributed to a publication should be acknowledged rather than included as co-authors.
Later, the discussion turned to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the study process, with an overview of the guidelines for the ethical use of AI. Participants were introduced to how various publishers regulate AI use in the preparation of scientific publications, and the main trends in ethical AI application in research and education were summarized.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that cooperation on academic ethics issues would continue. The Office invited members of the LEI community to take part in upcoming online training sessions, conferences, and other initiatives, as well as to follow the Office’s newsletters, which provide relevant information and invitations to participate in ongoing activities.