Ethics in research refers to the set of ethical codes that guides us on how scientific

research should be conducted and disseminated. Research ethics consists of a core set of
scientific norms, developed over time and institutionalised meant for research
community. It provides guidelines for the responsible conduct of research. It distinguishes
between acceptable and unacceptable ways of behavior in research.
Ethics form a critical part of the substructure of the research process. Research ethics
involves the application of fundamental ethical principles to research activities which include the
design and implementation of research, respect towards society and others, the use of resources
and research outputs, scientific misconduct and the regulation of research. Research ethics are
often determined by Research Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) whether
the research is ethical enough or not.
Following are some of the accepted research ethics among research communities:

Objectivity: Objectivity is an important research ethics. A researcher has to avoid open biasness
during the research process. And he should try to be as objective and as neutral as possible. A
researcher may have his personal bias but this should not be reflected in his research work. A
biased work cannot advance research in the true sense of the term.

Honesty/Integrity: The search for truth, commitment to truth, integrity, and honesty are
preconditions for quality and reliability in research. Honesty and integrity must be reflected in
the data collection, data analysis and data output. A researcher must not fabricate, falsify or
misrepresent data. Research misconduct can have serious consequences and is considered to be a
form of academic fraud.

Voluntary Participation: The principle of voluntary participation requires that people not be
coerced into participating in research. People have the choice to voluntarily participate in the
research or refuse to participate midway or at any point in time. Voluntary participation is an
ethical principle protected by international law and codes of conduct.

Informed Consent: Informed consent refers to a situation in which all potential participants
receive and understand all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate.
This includes information about the study’s benefits, risks, funding, and institutional approval
amongst others. People must be given all the information that they require before they participate
in the research work.

Protecting Privacy/Anonymity: Protecting the privacy of the participants constitutes an

important code of conduct or research ethics. It means keeping the participants anonymous. It
involves not revealing the name or any other information about the participants that may reveal
his/her identity. All participants have a right to privacy and confidentiality, and therefore this
right must be respected and not violated.

Plagiarism: Research ethics demands that we should strictly avoid plagiarizing other’s works.
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work or ideas as our own, with or without their consent,
by incorporating it into our work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished
material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition.
Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional. Plagiarism, whether intentional or
unintentional amounts to stealing someone else’s work without proper credit is considered to be
unethical and is a disciplinary offence.

Responsible Publication: Responsible publication is also a part of ethical code of conduct as far
as research is concerned. Responsible publication involves presenting or publishing our findings
in reputed journals for others to profit by. It also gives an opportunity for others to find out the
faults in our research work if there are any. Research ethics demand that we should avoid
predatory journals and only publish in reputed and established journals or publication house.