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Research Method Unit 5

Research ethics provide guidelines for conducting research including avoiding misconduct like falsification or plagiarism. The guidelines aim to promote knowledge while respecting principles like human rights, confidentiality, and informed consent. Ethical codes address honesty, objectivity, integrity, and other values to ensure accountability in research and build public trust. Engineering ethics similarly focuses on responsibilities to minimize harm and maximize benefits for humans, animals, and the environment.

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79 views

Research Method Unit 5

Research ethics provide guidelines for conducting research including avoiding misconduct like falsification or plagiarism. The guidelines aim to promote knowledge while respecting principles like human rights, confidentiality, and informed consent. Ethical codes address honesty, objectivity, integrity, and other values to ensure accountability in research and build public trust. Engineering ethics similarly focuses on responsibilities to minimize harm and maximize benefits for humans, animals, and the environment.

Uploaded by

Tamru gebregeorgis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit Five

Research Ethics
Research Ethics - Basics
• Ethics –norms for conduct.

• Aims of research – knowledge, truth and


avoidance of error.

• Norms - guidelines for authorship copyright


and patenting policies, data sharing policies,
confidentiality rules, peer review, etc.

• Ethical norms - ‘body of principles governing


right and wrong’
Research Ethics - Basics
Research misconduct/unethical research:

• Falsification – altering data

• Fabrication – creating data

• Plagiarism – taking ideas or words without


appropriate attribution
• Copyright (legal protection of intellectual property)
✓ Original works of authorship (books, software)
✓ Covers the particular expression of an idea in the work
✓ The idea itself cannot be copyrighted.

• Misrepresenting research data


Research Ethics - Basic
• Controls over research involving human
subjects:
✓ Legal obligations

✓ Professional code of ethics

✓ Pre-Clearance from Relevant Regulators

E.g. Typically, University Ethics Committee

✓ Free and Informed Consent (voluntary


participation)
Research Ethics - Importance
1. Promote the aims of research (knowledge, truth and
avoidance of error)

2. Promote the values essential to collaborative work


(trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness)

3. Ensure that researchers can be held accountable to


the public

4. Help to build public support for research

5. Promote moral and social values (human rights,


animal welfare, health and safety)
Ethical Code
• Many learned bodies have published ethical codes
of practice, for example:
✓ Medical Research Council

✓ Economic and Social Research Committee

✓ Welcome Trust

✓ The Nuffield Foundation

✓ British Society of Criminology

✓ The British Sociological Society

✓ National research ethics guidelines – Ministry of


Science and Technology.
Engineering Research Ethics
• Concerning obligations, rights, ideals of
character and minimising harm to humans,
animals and the environment.
• The responsibilities and rights that ought
to be endorsed in engineering research
• Desirable ideals in engineering research
Themes in Ethics of Research in
Engineering
1) Moral values encompass all aspects of technological
development: ethics and excellence in engineering
cannot be separated.

2) Engineering projects generate new possibilities and


risks, engineers share responsibility for creating
benefits, preventing harm and advising on dangers

3) Personal integrity/commitments matter in


engineering, in addition to principles of
responsibility
Themes in Ethics of Research in
Engineering
4) Engineering ethics concerns both decisions made by
individuals and general directions of technological
development, collective responsibilities of engineers,
and engineering professional societies

5) Ethical dilemmas and potential conflicts of interest


arise in engineering, as elsewhere, due to myriad
and potentially conflicting moral values
Ethical Code Development
• Some general ethical principles many codes addresses:

• Honesty – in reporting data, results, methods,


procedures - No fabrication, falsifying, etc.

• Objectivity – strive to avoid bias in experimental


design, data analysis, etc.

• Integrity – keeping promises and agreements

• Carefulness – avoid carless errors and negligence;


critically examine your work, etc.
Ethical Code Development

• Some general ethical principles many codes addresses:

• Openness – share data, results, ideas, etc. And be


open to criticism.

• Respect for intellectual property – honour patents,


copyrights, etc. No use of unpublished data without
permission. Give credit when credit is due.

• Confidentiality – protect confidential


communications such as paper submitted for
publication, etc.
Ethical Code Development
• Some ethical principles many codes addresses:

• Legality – know and obey relevant laws institutional and


government policies

• Animal care – use proper respect and care when animals


are used in research.

• Human study participants’ protection – minimize harms


and risks and maximize benefits; respect human dignity,
privacy; take special precautions with vulnerable
populations.

• Other Deviations – Ethical dilemma

• Bioethics ( organ transplant, stem cell research, etc.).


Summary

• Fundamental moral values and responsibilities.

• Benefits versus potential risks – the engineer’s roles

• Personal integrity

• Combining economic growth, social justice and


environmental care – responsibilities to all sections of
society

• Awareness of conflicts of interest – and behaving


appropriately
End of Unit Five

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