Ethics in Research

Introduction
• The term ethics is derived from the Greek word
“ethos” which means custom, habit, character or
disposition.

• Ethics is the norms of conduct, rationally derived

normative structure that permits us to distinguish
well from bad behavior. The norms can be
integrated into a professional responsibility. All
persons whether in business, government,
university, collages schools or any other
organization are concerned with ethics.
• Ethics is a system of moral principles. They affect
how people make decisions and lead their lives.
Ethics is concerned with what is good for
individuals and society and is also described as
moral philosophy.

• So, ethics provides us with a moral map, a

framework that we can use to find our way
through difficult issues.
Why ethical norms are important in research?
• Ethical norms are of paramount importance which
governs conduct in all disciplines and ethics also
serves the goals of research and apply to people who
undertake researches and other creative activities.
There are several reasons as to why it is necessary to
adhere to ethical norms in research.

• Ethical norms promote the objectives of research such

as knowledge; truth and avoidance of errors, for
instance prohibition against fabricating, falsifying or
misrepresentation, research data promote the truth
and avoid errors.
 Cont...

• In a research, formal permission and consent is

required from the concerned individuals and
authorities. The researcher is required to show the
sources of data, knowledge and information,
citation honestly.

• ii. Since the research often involves a great deal of

cooperation and coordination among many people
in different subjects and institutions, ethical
standards promote the values for the collaborative
work.
 Cont...

For example, many ethical norms in research such as

guidelines for authorship, copyright and patenting
policies, data sharing policies and confidentialities
rules are designed to protect intellectual property.

iii. Most researchers want to receive credit for their

contribution and do not want to have their ideas
stolen or disclosed prematurely. Many of the ethical
norms help to ensure that researches can be held
accountable to the public who are funded by public
money.
 Cont...

• iv. Ethical norms in research also help to build

public support for research. People are encouraged
to fund research project if they can trust the quality
and integrity of research.

• Thus ethical norms of research promote a variety

of other important moral and social values, such as
social responsibility, protection of human rights,
compliance with law also, health and safety. Any
ethical errors in a research are detrimental to
human welfare and other subjects.
 Cont...
If a researcher fabricates data in a clinical trial, which
might harm or even, kill patients. So, maximum
welfare or benefit should be ensured through the
application of appropriate ethical norms and
principles. Protection of human subject is imperative.
 Ethical issues in different stages of research

• In the book entitled Research design by John w.

Creswell, ethical issues in different stages of the
research have been mentioned which are as
follows:

• Research problem.
• Purpose and question
• Data collection
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Writing and disseminating the research.
 Ethical principles
• Whoever may be researcher, he/she must meet
certain crucial attributes of a good research to
come with reliable objectives and relevant research
outputs. But researcher should also recognize and
consider the potential ethical principles or codes of
ethics in order to accomplish the goals of the
research.

• If ethical principle and norms are not followed, the

research work results in the wastage of time,
energy and fund and no welfare or benefit can be
ensured.
Provisions of ethical principle in a research
• Research should be designed, reviewed and
understandable to ensure integrity and quality.

• Research staff and subjects must be informed fully

about the purpose, methods and intended possible
uses of the research, what their participation in the
research entails and what risks if any are involved.
• The confidentiality of the information supplied by
research subjects and the secrecy of respondents must
be respected.
• Research participants must participate in a voluntary
way, free from coercion (unless covert research and
deception has been deemed necessary).
• Harm to participants must be avoided and this
extends to the family, kin or community groups of the
participants and,
• The independence of the research must be clear, any
conflict of interest or partiality must be explicit.
 Plagiarism or piracy
• Plagiarism is a serious ethical issue in a research
especially in academics. The term plagiarism is
derived from the French word "plagiaries meaning
kidnapper".
• Plagiarism refers to a form of cheating that has been
defined as the false assumption of authorship: the
wrongful act of taking the product of another
person's mind and presenting it at one's own.
• Plagiarism involves two kinds of wrongs. Using
another person's ideas, information or expression
without acknowledging constitutes intellectual theft.
 Cont...

• The term piracy means literary theft. Piracy clearly

produces a direct economic loss on the intellectual
property of the right holders such as authors,
performers, producers and indirect loss in the
countries, national economies. Among the activities
infringing intellectual property rights we can make
a distinction in strict sense between physical and
digital piracy.
 Cont...

Physical piracy:
Physical piracy is referred to the making of illegal
copies for sale and distribution. Digital works either
directly from websites created for specific purpose
or by the phenomenon known as peer to peer.
Plagiarism is derived from two Latin words-
plagiaries which means an abductor, and plagiary
which means to steal.
 Why people plagiarize?

• Plagiarism is phenomenon that takes place every

where around us. Some people plagiarize
unknowingly because they do not know what may
amount to it. Others plagiarize willingly as they
are simply ignorance and lazy.

• Students are the greatest culprits of plagiarism,

when it comes to doing their school/ collage
projects. The reasons why students plagiarize in
large numbers are many. Some of them are:
 Cont...

• Lack of knowledge.
• Lack of patience.
• Lack of time.
• Ignorance about the consequences of plagiarism.
• Ambition of achieving higher grades.
 Codes in research

• Every researcher, professional associations,

government agencies and universities have to
adopt basic codes, rules and policies relating
to research ethics. The following are the
general summary of some ethical principles
that various codes address.
• Honesty:
• Strive for honesty in all research
communication. Honestly report data, result,
method, procedures and publication status.
Do not fabricate, falsify or misrepresent data.
Do not deceive colleagues, granting agencies
or the public.
• Objectivity:
• Strive to avoid bias in experimental design,
data analysis, data interpretation, peer review,
personal decisions, grant, export testimony
and other aspects of where objectivity is
expected or required. Avoid bias or self
deception personal or financial interest may
affect the research.
• Integrity: Keep your promises and agreements; act
with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and
action.
• Carefulness:
• Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and
critically examine your own work and the work of
your peers. Keep good records of research
activities, such as data collection, research design
and correspondence with agencies or journals.
• Respect for intellectual property:
• Honor patents, copyrights and other forms of
intellectual property. Do not use unpublished
data, methods or results without permission.
Give credit where it is due. Give proper
acknowledgment. Never plagiarize.
• Confidentiality:
• Protect confidential communications such as
papers or grants submitted for publication,
personnel records, trade or military secrets and
patients records.
• Responsible publication:
• Public in order to advance research and
scholars, not to advance just your own career.
Avoid workfolk duplicative publication.
• Social responsibility:
• Strive to promote social good and prevent or
mitigate social harms through research, public
education and advocacy.
• Non- Discrimination:
• Avoid discrimination against colleagues or
student on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or
others factors that are not related their
scientific competence and integrity.
• Legality:
• Know and obey relevant laws and government
policies as 'ignorance of law is not excused.''
• Human subject protection:
• While conducting research on human subjects
minimize harms and risk and minimize benefits;
respect human dignity, privacy and autonomy; take
special precautions with vulnerable population and
strive to distribute the benefits and burdens of
research fairly.
• Conclusion:
• Research is mostly undertaken to generate
knowledge and contribute to scholarship and
wellbeing of people. It is the primary duty and
responsibility of researcher to abide by ethical
norms while undertaking research works no matter
what the types of research are. Ethical issues are
likely to occur in any kind and stage of research
projects. Ethical issues can be detrimental to both
researchers and concerned subject of research.
• Prior to commencing any research works,
every researcher should have the knowledge
of ethics principles and be aware as to the
possibility of ethical issue. Ethical issues are
the matters of ''power relationship'' between
the researchers and researched as well.
• As such researchers should be mindful to
ensure 'No Harm'' to the researched from the
very outset to the end of research projects.
Research works carried out not following basic
principles of ethics may not accomplish the
targeted objectives of research that might
result in waste of time, energy and fund.