Research Ethics
Research ethics encompass the basic principles and guidelines that assist researchers in maintaining their core values. Moral principles govern a person’s behavior or the conduct of an activity. Moreover, research ethics are the moral principles governing how researchers should conduct their work.
Research ethics include the application of core ethical principles to many aspects of research, such as designing and executing studies, consideration for society and individuals, responsible use of resources and study findings, prevention of scientific misconduct, and commitment to research regulations. There are five major ethical issues in research.
Ethical Issues in Research
Study Design and Ethics Approval
Effective study should be well set up, carefully organized, adequately structured, and ethically approved. Engaging in research that falls below an acceptable standard may be seen as misconduct and against the research ethics.
All contributions and collaborations must carefully agree to it, and the precise roles of each team member should be spelled out early, including matters of authorship and publications. Research should have specific questions rather than merely collecting data.
Data Analysis
The researcher is tasked with the responsibility of appropriately analyzing the data. While it is important to note that inappropriate analysis is not automatically associated with misconduct, it is crucial to acknowledge that intentionally omitting results can lead to misinterpretation and potentially mislead readers.
It is essential that all sources and methodologies employed in the collection and analysis of data are carefully revealed in order to guarantee the integrity of the data analysis process.
Authorship
The author is required to provide certification that the manuscript is a valid representation of their work and assume public responsibility for the findings. Finally, an author is usually involved in drafting, revising, and approving the submitted manuscript.
Data collection, editing of grammar and language, and other routine works by themselves do not deserve authorship. It is crucial to decide early on in the research planning who will be credited as authors, contributors, and acknowledged.
Conflicts of Interest
This phenomenon occurs when researchers possess undisclosed interests that may impact their objectivity and influence their decisions regarding what gets published. The conflicts under consideration encompass various interests, including personal, commercial, political, academic, or financial.
Discussion of relevant interests should occur during the initial phase of the research. Researchers need to exert additional measures to guarantee that their conflicts of interest don’t influence the methodology and ultimate outcome of the research.
Duplicate Publication
Duplicate publication is a phenomenon that arises when multiple papers, lacking complete cross-referencing, present the same data, hypothesis, discussions, or conclusions. Plagiarism encompasses a variety of behaviors, which can include the unacknowledged utilization of both published and unpublished ideas, such as those found in research grant applications.
It can also involve the act of submitting an entire paper under a different author’s name, sometimes even in a different language. Therefore, it is important to disclose all sources of information, and if a large amount of other people’s written or illustrative materials are to be used, permission must be sought.
Ethical Criteria for Research
Just as research is never value-free, research ethics are vital to every study project. Nowadays, it is generally accepted that social research must meet five ethical criteria to be considered ethically acceptable.
- Autonomy/self-determination (includes informed consent and confidentiality)
- Non-maleficence (not harming)
- Beneficence (doing good)
- Justice (are the purposes just?)
- Positive contribution to knowledge
Autonomy
The principle of autonomy involves respect for people and their right to decide whether or not they will be involved in research. When asking people to participate in your research, you must demonstrate that they have informed consent. This means that they understand the nature of the research and its purpose, the risks for them, and what will be asked of them.
Other ethical aspects of the principle of autonomy include the right to privacy, including the right to withdraw from the process at any stage and to refuse to answer certain questions if they wish, the right to anonymity, and the right to confidentiality.
Confidentiality refers to the assurance that the researcher will not disclose the provided information to anyone else and keep it when reporting study findings as previously agreed. Additionally, the information will not be utilized for any other purpose other than the research.
Non-maleficence
Researchers are also required not to harm their subjects in any way and, conversely, to do some good or to be of benefit to the people who are being researched. Often, in proposals to ethical committees, you will be asked to document the risks your research might pose to the participants and what measures you will take to minimize them.
Beneficence
Research should be conducted with the intention of being valuable and beneficial, with the benefits exceeding any potential risks or harm. Researchers should strive to maximize the advantages of the research while minimizing any potential risks to both participants and researchers. Under the concept of beneficence, researchers should safeguard participants from exploitation.
Justice
Principles of justice or fairness are also issues of research ethics which, as we have seen, can be viewed differently depending on your perspective. Research is often a complex issue involving ethical dilemmas in which you may have to choose between undesirable alternatives.
Contribution to Knowledge
The final principle, making a positive contribution to knowledge, involves issues of professional standards. You must ensure that your purpose is worthwhile, that your data are gathered carefully, and that you have chosen appropriate methods of research design, data collection, and analysis.
Results must be reported honestly, and this should include any problems, errors, or distortions of which you are aware. You cannot publish data that you did not collect, and you must not falsify data.
In relation to other researchers, it is imperative that you give credit and refer to others who contributed to your work. Plagiarism, or using other people’s work without acknowledgment, is a serious offense in research and scholarship generally.
Ethical Principles in Research
Researchers must follow guidelines for research ethics when conducting and reporting. These guidelines or principles include;
Honesty
The research or study should be good and truthful, and no lying, stealing, or cheating is involved. It is not hiding the truth about someone or something or not meant to deceive someone. Showing or suggesting a good and truthful character. Report all data, results, and procedures honestly, without fabrication or misrepresentation.
Objectivity
Recognize and avoid bias in all aspects of research and behavior. By utilizing verifiable data, the objective is to minimize or eliminate biases, prejudices, or subjective evaluations to the greatest extent feasible.
Integrity
It denotes the strict observance of a moral code that is demonstrated through transparent honesty and complete harmony in one’s thoughts, words, and actions, as well as the act of acting with sincerity. Keep promises, behave consistently, always be sincere in your interactions, and respect intellectual property standards.
Openness
There should be openness when sharing data results, ideas, tools, and resources. Practice transparency in all your professional activities, and share ideas, data, results, and feedback. Be open to new ideas and criticism.
Confidentiality
Ensure privacy in the context of communications, personal records, and privacy issues. This includes authorship, such as being a writer of a book, conducting research in good faith, and conducting research that meets scientific competence.
A key responsibility of a researcher would be to protect the privacy of research participants and safely maintain confidential documents, data, and trade secrets.
Acknowledgment
A good researcher never uses unpublished data, methods, or results without permission. He must give credit where credit is due. Do not use unpublished data, techniques, or products without permission. Give credit where credit is due. Give proper acknowledgment or credit for all research contributions.
Respect
One of the most important researcher duties and responsibilities is to test research participants respectfully and according to current guidelines. A researcher also needs to respect his/her colleagues and treat them fairly. Thus, a researcher should respect his colleagues and treat them fairly.
Responsible
Publication with an aim to serve society, avoiding wasteful and duplicative publication. Responsible monitoring in terms of guiding research students. Social responsibility means serving the society and different stakeholders.
Non-discrimination
Non-discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of gender, race, or factors that are not related to their scientific competence and integrity.
Enhancing Competence
Enhancing competence for one’s own professional advancement or lifelong learning by taking steps to promote competence in science as a whole.
Ensuring the Legality
Ensuring the legality of the whole process by obeying relevant laws that are institutional and governmental policies.
Voluntary Participation
Voluntary participation refers to the freedom of study subjects to choose whether or not to participate, without any kind of influence or force. Participants have the freedom to withdraw from or discontinue their involvement in the study at any time without feeling any sense of responsibility to continue. Participants are not required to submit an explanation for their withdrawal from the research.
Informed Consent
Informed consent pertains to a scenario where all prospective participants are provided with and understand all the necessary facts to make a decision regarding their participation. This encompasses details on the advantages, possible risks, financial support, and authorization from the institution.
Anonymity
Anonymity refers to the condition when the identities of the participants are unknown, and it is not possible to establish a connection between any particular participant and their data. Anonymity may be ensured only by refraining from gathering any personally identifiable information, such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, physical traits, pictures, and videos.
Results Communication
The manner in which you convey your study findings might occasionally raise ethical concerns. Effective science communication is characterized by its integrity, reliability, and credibility. It is advisable to ensure that your results are presented in a clear and easily understandable manner.
