Ethics in Research

Ethical approvalRelations in researchRelated to access2 other ethics topicsEthics in substantive analysisEthics in writing, ethics within

research community

Ethics in Research

Ethics approval – usually in medical faculty Institutional Review Board Human Subjects Committee

University – mandatory, required – in your plans Key to know institutional requirements Key to know review cycles, deadlines

Organization – field site Confidentiality Proprietary knowledge, patents, ‘trade secrets’

Reporting on ‘human subjects’ research Per year

Ethics in Research

Ethics as relations in researchEthical conduct: what kind of relations do we

want to have with research participants?Ethical agreements – letter of agreementEthics encoded in legal protectionsResearch participants’ ‘bill of rights’

In university research State law: California (1960s-70s), New York, more Required for clinical trials Required by more & more journals – approval # as

proof

Ethics in Research

Research participants’ ‘bill of rights’Codification as ‘rights’ & principles in researchCame from history of abuses in experimentsInformed consent agreements with

individual research participantsSigned, recorded, or given verbally explicitlyStandard in medical & clinical practice

for procedures that carry risk, to be informed about potential benefits and risks

Ethics in Research

Elements of research participants ‘bill of rights’; informed consent

Voluntary nature of participation No penalty if choose not to participate (as patient, as

worker) Data to be used for research purposes – not to

evaluate or discipline staff or others Right to withdraw at any time

Purposes of the research; period of time; localePotential benefits and risks – balance of possible

risks to individuals (e.g side effects) and benefits to society.

Ethics in Research

Benefits – or no benefits – to individuals participating in the research

What will happen, what will be asked of you if you choose to participate Includes methods, review of records, etc.

What will be done to protect individual privacy & confidentiality, e.g. remove names

Chance to ask questions.Copy of agreement / record of agreementMust ask directly: Would you like to participate?Contact information if any problems, questions

Ethics in Research

Think of ethics as relationsDiscussions in readingsDiscuss…

Ethics in Research

Ethics in substantive analysisEthical concerns, questions in the

research, in the field siteSee: Wagner, Ina.

Encyclopedia commissioned by EU on ethics & medical technologies

Larger changes, trends, dynamics, potential consequences

Ethics in Research

Ethics in writing, ethics within research community

Acknowledgement of research colleagues – in teams; in literature; for shared data or access

Ethics in Research

Ethics in writing

Danger of plagiarism

Occurs unintentionally

How to avoid

See suggestions in readings

Develop your own habits from the beginning