Example of a case dealt with by the Research Practices Committee: Conflicts between principal supervisors and PhD students
Conflicts between principal supervisors and current or former PhD students can end with complaints concerning breaches of responsible conduct of research. Professor Palle Bo Madsen has also been involved in such cases in the Research Practices Committee. He describes them as very difficult – and very unpleasant.
"Most often we receive a complaint from either a supervisor or a PhD student from one of the areas where students typically work closely together with their supervisor and possibly also publish together. It can be difficult to find out who did what, if a controversy arises later on between supervisor and student. We have had cases where a supervisor has subsequently received a reprimand and also cases where a former PhD student has subsequently received a reprimand," he says.
Translated by Peter Lambourne.