Guidelines on Academic Freedom

ECPR is committed to building an environment based on the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual accuracy, by safeguarding the protection and strengthening of individual rights, and academic integrity. These Guidelines are developed to promote awareness among members and to coordinate initiatives and statements.

What is academic freedom?

Academic freedom is the principle that all scholars should have the freedom to pursue and express scholarship without fear of censorship, retaliation, or repression. It is a fundamental right that enables academic institutions to engage in open inquiry and critical thinking, and to make meaningful contributions to society through research, teaching, and public service.  

Academic freedom includes the freedom to explore all areas of knowledge, to challenge and question established ideas, to express unpopular or controversial opinions, and to conduct research without interference from external sources.

Academic freedom is essential to the advancement of scholarship, and the preservation of democracy. It ensures that scholars can work independently and without influence from political or commercial interests, and that they can contribute to public debates and policy discussions with the confidence that their views will be respected. 

Our Working Group

ECPR’s Working Group on Academic Freedom is committed to creating a scholarly environment that respects, safeguards and strengthens individual rights, and protects academic integrity, at every level of the profession.

ECPR’s blog site The Loop hosts our ⛓ Constraints on Academic Freedom series, and we organise regular conference roundtables, workshops and House Series events on this topic. 

We are already working with IPSA and some of Europe’s larger national political science associations to share knowledge and promote best practice.

Our commitment to you

ECPR upholds that

• all scholars involved in ECPR events and activities, regardless of position or affiliation, are free to express ideas and opinions in speech, publications and teaching
• all have the right to pursue research, and to express views, without interference and without fear of retaliation or censorship. 

ECPR commits to

• fostering a diverse, inclusive academic community that welcomes people from all backgrounds and perspectives
• maintaining and respecting the highest standards of academic integrity, in research and in teaching. 

ECPR expects

• all academic institutions to treat academic matters with honesty and integrity, without prejudice or interference from external sources
• institutions to prevent discrimination towards, retaliation against and unequal treatment of scholars because of the contents of their publications, speeches and teaching
• all scholars to be responsible for their own performance and outcomes, committing to rigorous standards of scholarship, integrity, and respect for the rights of others.