At Avans, research is carried out responsibly, in a culture of trust, learning, and accountability. We act in accordance with the principles of the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Scientific Integrity: Honesty, Scrupulousness, Transparency, Independence and Responsibility.
At Avans, research is carried out responsibly, in a culture of trust, learning, and accountability. We act in accordance with the principles of the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Scientific Integrity: Honesty, Scrupulousness, Transparency, Independence and Responsibility.
If research is not compliant with these principles of this Code of Conduct, research integrity and reliability may be questioned. Obvious examples are plagiarism and the fabrication of research data or results. However, situations may also arise in which the distinction is less clear, for example when inadequate research methods are used.
Safeguard
Avans safeguards the scientific integrity of practice-based research through:
- Ethical review and advice processes
- Confidential counsellors for research integrity
- A complaints procedure
- Training and awareness
Ethical issues may arise in practice-based research. For example in:
- Studies involving vulnerable or sick people
- Situations in which conflicts of interest may arise
- Research involving security risks
- Studies which rely on privacy-sensitive information
Therefore, the Avans Ethics Committee - Research Chamber (ECA-Oz) reviews whether (potential) ethical issues may arise in proposed research. In addition, the ECA-Oz advises on potential ethical issues in research.
Besides a Research Chamber, the Avans Ethics Committee also has a Data & AI Chamber (ECA-Data&AI). The Data & AI Chamber deals with ethical questions relating to operations or education. Expertise from this chamber can also be applied to help assess research proposals by the Research Chamber in which big data and/or AI play a role.
More information and contact
Please contact the Avans Ethics Committee for more information on the review criteria, application process and review procedure.
E-mail: [email protected]
Do you have questions or concerns about research integrity at Avans? Would you like to file a complaint about an Avans researcher(s)? Get in touch with one of the confidential counsellors for research integrity. They will look for a good solution together with the complainant and any other parties involved. If necessary, the counsellors will assist in submitting a complaint to the Complaints Committee for Research Integrity. They treat all questions and reports as strictly confidential.
Submit a question or a compliant:
Get in touch with one of the confidential counsellors for research integrity: [email protected]
Formal complaints about research integrity of Avans research(ers) are handled by the Complaints Committee for Research Integrity. Since 2021, Avans has a joint complaints committee (Dutch) with Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Breda University of Applied Sciences and HZ University of Applied Sciences. The joint Complaints Committee for Research Integrity investigates and assesses possible research integrity violations and advises the Executive Board accordingly. If you wish to submit a complaint to the Complaints Committee for Research Integrity, you should preferably contact one of the confidential counsellors for research integrity. They can then help you submit the complaint. It is also possible to submit a complaint directly to the official secretary of the Complaints Committee.
Submit a compliant to the:
- confidential counsellors: [email protected]
- official secretary of the Compliants Committee: [email protected]
As of 2025, Avans offers basic training in Responsible Research. This training is mandatory for everyone conducting research at Avans. The basic training contributes to awareness of research integrity, the breadth of the topic and the importance of taking care of it. In addition, the training aims to activate (lecturer) researchers and provide tools to recognise and discuss research integrity in their work.
The training was developed by seven universities of applied sciences (Fontys, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, HAN University of Applied Sciences and Avans) - in cooperation with the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences ( Dutch: Vereniging Hogescholen).