Objective This project will investigate a still unresolved question that cuts across all areas of research involving human beings: "When should an activity count as research?" The answer to this question is important because classifying an activity as research will sometimes mean that stricter ethical and legal regulations apply but in other circumstances mean that the it becomes exempt from certain rules and regulations. It is therefore crucial that we are able to define criteria for classifying an activity as resea rch The question about the definition of research has so far mainly been discussed within biomedicine, but it occurs in a large number of research areas. It will become increasingly important as research ethics regulations are expanded to cover other areas than biomedicine, and data protection legislation is enacted and enforced. In this project we will therefore analyse case-studies from five areas: biomedicine, IT, social sciences, databases and biobanks in order to achieve the following scientific object ives: 1. An exhaustive philosophical analysis of the research concept 2. An exhaustive legal analysis of the use of the research concept in European and national legislation and regulation 3. An exhaustive analysis of the philosophical and legal problems i n defining an activity as "research" according to a) its aims, b) the intentions of those who plan and conduct it, c) the products flowing from it, d) the intended use of its results, e) the context in which it is performed, or the institutions or persons performing it, f) its impact on the persons participating, g) the views of the persons participating. 4. An account of the specific problems in applying a research / non-research distinction in the area of databases and biobanks. 5. An account of which cri teria are most suitable as the basis for the research / non-research distinction in the regulation of different scientific areas. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabasesnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencescomputer securitydata protection Keywords Research ethics concept of research regulation od research Programme(s) FP6-SOCIETY - Science and society: specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration : "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006 Topic(s) SOCIETY-2.1 - Ethics: networking between existing bodies and activities, promotion of dialogue in a global context, awareness raising, training Call for proposal FP6-2003-SCIENCEANDSOCIETY-4 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER EU contribution No data Address Oxford Road MANCHESTER United Kingdom See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (8) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO/EUSKAL HERRIKO UNIBERTSITATEA Spain EU contribution No data Address Bo Sarriena, s.n LEOLA (BIZKAIA) See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET Denmark EU contribution No data Address Noerregade 10 KOEBENHAVN K See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Woodhouse Lane LEEDS See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ERASMUS MEDICAL CENTER ROTTERDAM Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Dr. Molewaterplein 50 ROTTERDAM See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data VILNIUS UNIVERSITY Lithuania EU contribution No data Address Universiteto 3 VILNIUS See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ASSISTANCE PUBLIQUE - HOPITAUX DE PARIS France EU contribution No data Address Avenue Victoria PARIS See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data AALBORG UNIVERSITY Denmark EU contribution No data Address Kroghstraede 3 AALBORG OEST See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET BONN Germany EU contribution No data Address Regina-Pacis-Weg 3 BONN See on map Total cost No data