Some scientists in positions of power have abused or even abused research participants in the past to investigate research problems at all costs. These participants were prisoners in their care or trusted to treat them with dignity. Government agencies that fund or sponsor research often publish codes of conduct for researchers or codes of ethics. This means, for example, that you shouldn`t expose people to more tests than is absolutely necessary to achieve your research goals. They should always respect human rights, including the right to privacy and autonomy. You may need to be very careful with vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and people with learning disabilities. Reasonable efforts should have been made to find a legal authority for consent. If there is not enough time, an “informed consent exception” may allow the subject to register with the prior consent of an ethics committee. [7] Researchers should obtain the delayed informed consent of the investigator (if recapable) or his/her legally authorized representative for further participation as soon as possible. [4,7] Plagiarism means subjugating the works of others as one`s own. While it may be unintentional, copying someone else`s work without proper credit is tantamount to theft. This is an ethical issue in research communication because you can benefit from harming other researchers.
You should publish to keep up with the latest research and knowledge, not just to advance your career. This basically means that you shouldn`t publish anything that isn`t new or duplicates someone else`s work. This is problematic because you can benefit from presenting your ideas as new and original, even if they have already been published elsewhere in the past. You may also infringe your former publisher`s copyright, violate a code of ethics, or waste time and resources. Anonymity means you don`t know who the participants are, while privacy means you know who they are, but remove the credentials from your search report. Both are important ethical considerations. Research scandals with ethical failures are scattered throughout history, but some took place not so long ago. Mistreatment of research participants is considered research misconduct (failure to approve ethics review, failure to follow approved protocol, lack or insufficient informed consent, subjects` exposure to physical or psychological harm, subjects` exposure to harm due to unacceptable research practices, or failure to maintain confidentiality). [6] There is also scientific misconduct involving fraud and deception. They strike a balance between the pursuit of important research objectives and the use of ethical research methods and procedures.
It is always necessary to avoid permanent or excessive damage to participants, whether accidental or not. Voluntary participation means that all research subjects are free to participate without pressure or coercion. A IRB is an organization that verifies whether your research objectives and design are ethical and adhere to your institution`s code of conduct. You verify that your research material and procedures comply with the code. When most people think of research ethics, they think of the questions that arise when research involves human or animal subjects. The goals of human research often include understanding real-world phenomena, studying effective treatments, studying behaviors, and improving lives in other ways. What you are looking for and how you conduct that research involves important ethical considerations. Research ethics is the ethics that govern how scientific and other research is conducted in research institutions such as universities and how it is disseminated. Various regulatory bodies have been established to ensure the safety of those involved in research. It is imperative to obtain approval from the relevant regulatory authorities before proceeding with the research. The constitution and types of these bodies vary from country to country.
Researchers are expected to know these authorities, and the list of various agencies relevant to India is provided in the article “Research Methodology II” in this issue. How do different aspects of your research relate to the six ethical principles of the ESRC Research Ethics Framework? Click on the image below to find out.