About NESH
The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH) has been in existence since 1990. The Committee has twelve members: two lay representatives and ten members with different professional backgrounds.
Members of NESH 2026-2029
Kari Steen-Johnsen (Chair), sociologist and research professor at the Institute for Social Research (ISF)
Hanne Hagtvedt Vik (Deputy chair), Professor, Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo (UiO)
Jesper Aagaard Petersen, Associate professor, Department of Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Monika Abels, Associate professor, UiT - The Arctic University
Annette Alstadsæter, Professor, Head of SKATTEFORSK - Senter for skatte- og adferdsforskning, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
Rani Lill Anjum, philosopher. Senior Researcher at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
Anette Bringedal Houge, Professor, Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo (UiO)
Jakob Maliks, Professor of Social Studies: History at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Member of the national board for scientific publishing, the board of the Academy of Sciences and the board of teacher education at UHR
Shaher A. I. Shalfawi, Associate Professor, Department of Education and Sports Science, University of Stavanger (UiS)
Steinar Sneås Skauge, Lay member. Head of Church Studies at the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland
Karl Harald Søvig, Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen (UiB)
Per Henning Uppstad, Professor, Norwegian Centre for Reading Education and Research, University of Stavanger (UiS)
Anne Line Wittek, professor, vice-head and head of studies at The Department of Education, The University of Oslo (UiO).
Kristian Sandbekk Norsted, Deputy member. Senior Advisor at the Library, Østfold University College (HiOF)
Lars Frers, Professor, Department of Culture, Religion and Social Studies, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN)
Hans Jakob Walnum, Senior Researcher and Group Leader, Western Norway Research Institute
NESH’s charter states, among other things, that the Committee shall draw up guidelines for research ethics in the social sciences, the humanities, law and theology. The first version of the guidelines was published in 1993. This version was revised in 1999. A new edition was published in 2006, and a new version with updated references to relevant legislation came in 2016. The latest revision was finished in December 2021 (to English in February 2022).
In 2003 the committee made guidelines for Internet Research. These were revised in 2018. (Read the guidelines: A Guide to Internet Research Ethics)
The Committee uses the guidelines actively when giving its opinion on specific research projects. It also happens that researchers, wanting to safeguard ethical considerations in their research projects, ask NESH for an evaluation. Typical questions that NESH has been asked to evaluate include how best to ensure that consent is freely given and whether children can consent by themselves to take part in research projects. The Committee has also been asked to evaluate a number of other research ethical aspects, such as the limits for the protection of sources,the researchers’ duty of confidentiality and the duty to inform about planned criminal acts.
In addition to giving advice in individual cases, external activities such as the organisation of seminars on research ethical issues are an important part of NESH’s work.