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What are Research Ethics?
Due to the diversified nature of research, there is no universal manner in which scientific investigations are conducted. Thus, the responsible conduct of research will vary from discipline to discipline, and from laboratory to laboratory. Society’s expectations for research responsibility are complex and guidelines for conducting responsible research are not always clearly defined. Some responsible practices are defined and mandated at the professional, institutional and/or governmental level, whereas other non-binding guidelines and best practices are informally defined and executed through the mentor/trainee relationship. The culmination of these various practices, including responsible behaviors and attention to conducting the best research by scientists, has established that research ethics must be built upon a commitment to the essential values of honesty, accuracy, precision, efficiency, and objectivity. These values represent research integrity and are the basis for ethical decisions and actions regarding data management, mentor and trainee responsibilities, collaborative research, use of humans and animals in experimentation, authorship and publication, public accountability, and the peer review process. ‘Ethics’ is often defined as the study of moral values, and ethical decision-making aids us in the critical consideration of such values to make decisions we consider to be “right”. However, ‘ethics’ it is often used interchangeably with the term ‘morals’, and our ability to ethically analyze our actions should not be confused with the ability of our conscience to differentiate right from wrong. Moreover, ethical behavior implies adherence to principles that underlie a specific context or profession, whereas the use of morals in the workplace or research setting implies conformity with a behavioral code generally accepted in some defined setting or culture. This distinction is important in understanding what research ethics are, especially as research enters the realm of moral reasoning. One must determine what is ethically (versus legally) right and wrong. Ultimately, making well-reasoned ethical and moral responses to dilemmas in the conduct of science should consider 1) all issues and points of conflict, 2) the interests and expectations of all parties, 3) recognition of possible consequences that may arise from proposed actions, and 4) the identification of the professional and moral obligations of scientists. Researchers and trainees can gain more insight and knowledge by using case studies to discuss the elements of critical thinking, ethical decision making, and moral reasoning as it pertains to situations that scientists encounter during the course of a research career.
Keywords: research ethics