Abstract:

Good conduct in research - development - innovation is ensured in accordance with relevant international and EU laws and the rules of ethics for research programs - development – innovation thereof. The application of the measures referred to above is the responsibility of the ethics committee belonging to the structures that run research, development and innovation, such as universities, research institutes etc. This paper presents the current provisions of the Romanian legislation on research ethics, formulating a set of proposals in order to improve the conduct in scientific research, technological development and innovation. It concerns, in particular, a better formulation of the definitions on deviations from the rules of ethics in scientific research, prevention and resolution of plagiarism facts, tasks of the bodies empowered by law to decide on ethical violations. Differences are noticed between deviations considered under the criminal law as crimes and those representing misbehaviors, formulating proposals on limitation periods for these facts, namely the lifting and removal of the sanctions. Also, provisions that are specified in law enforcement must be used of good conduct in research - development – innovation, too, the application of other laws, such as those relating to copyright, patents, industrial designs protection have to be made. Through concrete application of such provisions, there are some issues, like the lack of correlation with other regulations, insufficient definitions etc. This paper presents, also, some of the weaknesses of this legislation, formulating a set of proposals to improve conduct in scientific research, development and innovation.

Keywords:

Scientific research, Ethics, Legislation.