Unit 5
Research Ethics
The research Ethics - basic
• Ethics –norms for conduct.
• Norms - guidelines for authorship copyright
and patenting policies, data sharing policies,
confidentiality rules in peer review, etc.
• Ethical norms - ‘body of principles governing
right and wrong’.
The research Ethics - basic
o Aims of research – knowledge, truth and avoidance of
error.
o Anything which is different from this is unethical.
o Research misconduct/unethical research:
Falsification – altering data
Fabrication – creating data
Plagiarism – borrowing ideas or words without
appropriate attribution
Misrepresenting research data
Copyright (legal protection of intellectual property)
Original works of authorship (books, software)
Covers the particular expression of an idea in the
work
The research Ethics - importance
1. Promote the aims of research (knowledge, truth and
avoidance of error)
2. Promote the values essential to collaborative work
( trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness)
3. Ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the
public
4. Help to build public support for research
5. Promote moral and social values (human rights, animal
welfare, health and safety)
Ethical Codes of Practice
• Many learned bodies have published ethical
codes of practice, for example:
Medical Research Council
Economic and Social Research Committee
Welcome Trust
The Nuffield Foundation
British Society of Criminology
The British Sociological Society
National research ethics guidelines – Ministry
of Science and Technology, Ethiopia
Ethical Codes of Practice
Ethical Codes of Practice
[Link]
Ethical Codes of Practice
[Link]
Research Ethics –Additional Note
• Here are controls over research involving human
subjects:
Legal obligations
Professional code of ethics
Pre-Clearance from Relevant Regulators
E.g. Typically, University Ethics Committee
Free and Informed Consent (voluntary participation)
Ethical Code Development
• Some ethical principles many codes addresses:
• Honesty – in reporting data, results, methods,
procedures. No fabrication, falisify, etc.
• Objectivity – strive to avoid bias in experimental
design, data analysis, etc.
• Integrity – keeping promises and agreements
• Carefulness – avoid carless errors and negligence;
critically examine your work, etc.
• Openness – share data, results, ideas, etc. And, be
open to criticism.
• Respect for intellectual property – honour patents,
copyrights, etc. No use of unpublished data without
permission. Give credit when credit is due.
Ethical Code Development
• Confidentiality – protect confidential communications
such as paper submitted for publication, etc.
• Legality – know and obey relevant laws institutional
and government policies
• Animal care – use proper respect and care when
animals are used in research.
• Human study participants’ protection – minimize
harms and risks and maximize benefits; respect
human dignity, privacy; take special precautions with
vulnerable, special, sick populations, minority groups,
etc.
Ethical Dilemma
• Ethical dilemma - when an incident arises that causes you to
question how you should react.
• What would you do if faced with a difficult issue in
research integrity? There are no right or wrong answers,
but your opinion will surely help others to make their
best choice.
If doing what is right produces something bad, or
if doing what is wrong produces something good,
the force of moral obligation may seem balanced
by the reality of the good end.
Example:
A patient who appeared to a doctor is in critical condition but
refuses to take or accept any care or treatment. What shall
the doctor do?
Group Discussion
• Take the following case studies.
• Each group discuss the ethical implications of the case
study
• Articulate your position on the ethical implications of the
case study.
• Come up with suggested measures that has to be taken
by the researcher
• Present the essence of your discussion
Group Discussion
Case 1.
• With the aim of teaching the people in town X about the
extent of HIV/AIDS in the town, he planned, without
their knowledge, to test bloods of patients who appear
to his clinic.
Is this kind of research ethical?
Case 2.
• Do you think that research on cloning is ethical?
Case 3.
• A patient who appeared to a doctor is in critical
condition but refuses to take or accept any care or
treatment. What shall the doctor do?
Case 4
• Do you think that abortion is ethical?
Thank you
The research Ethics - Theories
• Theories of Ethics –
Utilitarianism – predicts that the thing that benefit
many is ethically accepted.
Deontology – adhering to obligations and duties
when analyzing an ethical dilemma.
Rights – what is considered right by the society
given priority.
Virtue – judging a person by his character rather
than by action.
Casuist – compares a current ethical dilemma with
examples of similar ethical dilemmas and their
outcomes.