RDA Week 3: Ethics in Research

Ethics helps guide…

-The measurement technique

-How we select participants

-Research design and strategies used

-Circumstances surround study implementation

-Reporting of data

Ethical Responsibility

-Ensure the welfare and dignity of participants and subjects

-Promote accuracy in reporting of results

-Remember, researchers are in a position of power…do not abuse it!

Nuremberg Code (1947)

-In response to the trials of Nazi’s inhumane treatment of individuals and “medical experiments” during WWII

-Comprised of ten guidelines for the ethical treatment of humans in research

-Emphasized consent and was essential in formation of modern ethics

Declaration of Helsinki (1964)

-Adopted by the World Medical Association

-Provides an international set of ethical principles for human medical research

Tuskegee Study (1932-1972)

-Research conducted by United States Public Health Services on Syphilis, as there was no cure at the time

-600 men in Tuskegee, Alabama. 399 with syphilis, 201 without

-Penicillin was discovered in 1947, but was withheld from the men (without their

knowledge) so the progression of syphilis could be studied

-Unethical action resulted in the death of dozens of men

Milgram’s Obedience Study (1963)

-Participants were deceived into thinking they were inflicting serious pain and possibly lethal shocks to another human

-Participants reported shame and embarrassment of their actions

US Surgeon General (late 1960’s) – USA Government

Government office ordered federally funded research proposals from Public Health Services to be reviewed for ethical treatment of particpants

National Research Act (1974) – USA Government

Mandated regulations for the protection of subjects

Belmont Report (1979) – USA Government

Highlights respect for persons, beneficence, and justice

Tri-Council Policy Statement (1998) – Canadian Government

Was inspired by and closely follows American documents, especially the

Belmont Report

Psychological Association Guidelines

-American Psychological Association (1973)

-Canadian Psychological Association (1986)

-Both highlight aspirational guidelines and enforceable standards

Ethical Principles For Human Research

1. Respect for Human Dignity

2. Respect for Free and Informed Consent

3. Respect for Vulnerable Persons

4. Respect for Privacy and Confidentiality

5. Balancing Harms & Benefits

6. Minimizing Harms

7. Debriefing when Deception is used

Stanford Prison Experiment (Zimbardo, 1973)

-Participants adopted roles as prisoners or guards

-Ended prematurely due to participant behaviour and safety

Deception

-Passive deception (omission)

-Active deception (commission or lying)

-Confederates (assistants to the researcher who are aware of the studies purpose)

Confidentiality

-Ensures anonymity of responses

-Performance measures

-Attitudes, opinions, and beliefs

-Demographic characteristics

Canadian Council for Animal Care (CCAC)

-All universities and research centers working with vertebrates (captive or wild) are required to have an institutional animal research ethics board

-Examine ALL proposed research involving vertebrates

-Logic, risks, benefits, methods, training, animal usage, welfare, end-points, etc

-Composed of faculty, staff, veterinarian, and community representative

Fraud

The explicit effort of a researcher to falsify or misrepresent data (as opposed to an honest error)

Why do researchers commit fraud?

-To remain competitive for jobs, grants, etc.

-To keep jobs (i.e. tenure)

-Publish or perish

Safeguards Against Fraud

-Replication of scientific research studies

-Peer Review

-Data shared upon request (data repositories becoming more popular)

-Consequences of being found guilty of fraud

Plagiarism

The unethical representation of someone else’s ideas or words as one’s own

-May occur on many different levels

-May occur deliberately

-May occur without direct knowledge or due to ignorance

-Self-plagiarism

Using AI

It is unethical to claim AI writing as your own