# Act on responsibility for good research practice and the examination of research misconduct (2019:504)

> Swedish law from 2019

**Wikidata**: [Q100641251](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100641251)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/act-on-responsibility-for-good-research-practice-and-the-examination-of-research-misconduct-2019-504

## Summary
The Act on responsibility for good research practice and the examination of research misconduct (2019:504) is a Swedish statute enacted in 2019. It serves as the formal legal framework governing research ethics and the investigation of misconduct within Sweden's academic and research institutions.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title (Swedish):** Lag (2019:504) om ansvar för god forskningssed och prövning av oredlighet i forskning
- **Legal Citation:** SFS 2019:504
- **Classification:** Statute (formal written document creating law)
- **Jurisdiction:** Sweden
- **Publication Date:** June 27, 2019
- **Language:** Swedish
- **Copyright Status:** Public domain (per Swedish copyright act, chapter 2, section 26)
- **Document ID:** sfs-2019-504 (Swedish Riksdag)
- **Maintained By:** Project Riksdagen's documents
- **Instance Of:** Statute
- **Availability:** Accessible online in HTML and Office Open XML formats; English translation available via the Swedish Council for Higher Education

## FAQs
**What is the purpose of this act?**
The act establishes the legal responsibility for maintaining good research practice and defines the procedures for examining research misconduct in Sweden. It creates a formal statutory basis for handling cases of oredlighet (dishonesty/misconduct) in academic research.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The law is publicly available through the Swedish Riksdag's website in HTML and Office Open XML formats. An English translation is hosted by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) at uhr.se.

**Is this law protected by copyright?**
No. The statute is in the public domain under the Swedish copyright act (chapter 2, section 26), meaning it can be freely reproduced and distributed.

## Why It Matters
This statute matters because it codifies Sweden's national standards for research integrity, a critical component of scientific advancement and public trust. By establishing a formal legal mechanism—rather than merely ethical guidelines—to examine research misconduct, it provides a binding framework for accountability. It clarifies the responsibilities of researchers and institutions, ensuring that allegations of "oredlighet" (research dishonesty) are handled through a standardized, legally recognized process. As a public domain document, it ensures transparency and accessibility for all stakeholders, from researchers to the general public.

## Notable For
- **Legal Codification of Research Ethics:** Represents a formal statutory approach to research misconduct, moving beyond soft-law guidelines.
- **Public Accessibility:** Full text is available in multiple digital formats (HTML, OOXML) and translated into English, facilitating international understanding of Swedish research law.
- **Copyright-Free Status:** Explicitly designated as public domain, allowing unrestricted dissemination.
- **Official Government Record:** Maintained as part of the Riksdag's official document repository (Project Riksdagen's documents).

## Body

### Definition and Classification
The Act on responsibility for good research practice and the examination of research misconduct (2019:504) is classified as a **statute**—a formal written document that creates law. Statutes are foundational legal instruments, subclassed under "written work," "document," and "rule," and serve as the manifestation of statutory law. This specific act functions as a legal norm within the broader Swedish legal system and applies to the jurisdiction of Sweden.

### Publication and Legal Identifiers
The statute was officially published on **June 27, 2019**, and carries the legal citation **SFS 2019:504** (Svensk författningssamling, the Swedish Code of Statutes). Its assigned document ID within the Swedish Riksdag's system is **sfs-2019-504**. The work is maintained by **Project Riksdagen's documents**, an initiative to preserve and provide access to Sweden's legislative records.

### Availability and Formats
The law is distributed digitally in several forms to ensure broad accessibility:
- **HTML Format:** Accessible via `https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/_sfs-2019-504`.
- **Office Open XML Format:** Available at `http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-2019-504` (ECMA-376 1st Edition).
- **English Translation:** Hosted by the Swedish Council for Higher Education at `https://www.uhr.se/en/start/laws-and-regulations/Laws-and-regulations/act-on-responsibility-for-good-research-practice/`.

### Jurisdiction and Language
The act applies to the jurisdiction of **Sweden**, a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe. The primary language of the work is **Swedish**, though an English translation is provided for international reference. Sweden, with a population exceeding 10.5 million as of 2025, is a member of the European Union and NATO, and this statute operates within its unitary state legal framework.

### Copyright and Public Domain Status
The Act is classified as **public domain**. This determination is based on the **Swedish copyright act, chapter 2, section 26**, which exempts official legal documents—such as statutes, judicial opinions, and legislative enactments—from copyright protection. This aligns with the broader "edict of government doctrine" recognized in many jurisdictions, ensuring that the laws governing the public are freely owned and accessible by the public.

### Context of the Statute as a Legal Concept
As a statute, this act is part of a broader legal taxonomy. It is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and is caused by the act of "legislation." Structurally, it is composed of "legal norms" and is part of the wider system of "law." Statutes, as a category, are distinct from general "legislation" or "legal acts" in knowledge systems and are equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class used in structured data. This act, specifically, is a manifestation of statutory law within the Swedish legal order.

## References

1. [Lag (2019:504) om ansvar för god forskningssed och prövning av oredlighet i forskning](http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-2019-504)
2. [Lag (2019:504) om ansvar för god forskningssed och prövning av oredlighet i forskning](http://rkrattsbaser.gov.se/sfst?bet=2019:504)