Ethical approval of research

For research in the humanities and social sciences in Norway there is no requirement for an ethical approval before a project commences.

Research ethics in Norway is governed by the national Research Ethics Act (forskningsetikkloven) which states that all research must be in accordance with recognized research ethical norms within the relevant field.
Research in the social sciences and the humanities are guided by the Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities. These guidelines are issued by the National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities.

When is there still a need for ethical approval?

Certain scientific journals require that research projects have formal approval from a research ethics committee before publication of findings can take place. International partners in research projects may also request formal approval from an ethics committee to ensure that research ethics is thoroughly handled in a planned research project.

Note that for medical and healthcare research on people, human biological material or health information, prior ethical approval is always required.

How to apply for ethical approval

If the research you are planning actually does require an ethical approval, please fill in the Application for Ethical Approval form, save it as a pdf and send it to research@mf.no.

The application will be processed in the Research Committee (FU) , which is MF's research ethics committee.