HCD 320 - Paper on Research Ethics - Due (July 15) at 11:59pm

Both clinical (involving humans) and basic science (often involving animals or cells)
research are critical in the development of new treatments for various disorders or for
understanding normal physiological or pathophysiological (disease)
processes. Therefore, the purpose of your final paper is to explore ethical issues
surrounding clinical and basic science research.
Before beginning your paper, be sure to complete the required reading to help you learn
more about these issues:
Required Reading: Clinical Research:
1. A historical overview of ethical violations and the creation of policies and laws:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/timeline/index.cfm and http://www.cgu.edu/page
s/1722.asp
2. Visit ASU’s website on the use of human subjects in research: http://researchintegrity.asu.edu/humans- be
sure to visit the sections on “Ethical codes”
3. What makes clinical research ethical: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=192740
Required Reading/Viewing: Animal (Basic Science) Research
1. Overview: Be sure to review the various links for overviews of current policies and
laws governing the use of animals in research.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/14/ health/lifeswork-eric-kandel- memory/

http://www. understandinganimalresearch. org.uk/

http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/

2. How to become familar with the misconceptions as well as to explore medical

breakthroughs through animal
research: http://www. understandinganimalresearch. org.uk/?gclid= CKDJiPbOlMECFQOSfgodvJgAwg
3. Visit ASU’s website on the use of animals in research at the
university: http://researchintegrity.asu.edu/animals
4. Find examples of discoveries that have helped humans and animals that resulted
from animal research: http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/resources/animal-research-
news-feed/ and http://www.animalresearch.info/en/
5. View information on numbers of animals and types of animals used; example here is the UK)- contrary to popular
belief we actually consume more animals as food in the United States annually than are used for research...think
about how many chickens it takes to make a 12-piece family chicken bucket meal. Also, the vast majority of research
is conducted using rodents, not monkeys, contrary to some claims. It is important to keep in mind that the health
and well-being of the animals is extremely important in medical research as any stress or illness would negatively
affect the outcome of the research. http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/the-animals/

You might also find this NIH website on the timeline of laws regulating human and
animal research useful in your writing: http://history.nih.gov/about/timelines.html
 How to write your paper:
You will be responsible for preparing a 5-page (minimum, NOT including references or
title pages) final paper (maximums: 1” margins, 12-point Arial or Times New Roman
fonts, can be double-spaced). Proper grammar, organization and spelling will be scored
(10 total points) so be sure to proofread your paper prior to submission. A full grading
rubric is available by clicking “Section 6” above.
Your paper should be divided into 5 main sections and include well-developed
discussions for each subsection. Be sure to use the following subtitles and discuss each
of the points outlined below:
I. From bench to bedside (~1 page; 10 pts)
a. Explain the process of developing new treatments or studying physiological/pathophysiological processes
from the bench to the bedside. In other words, when would animal studies be necessary (bench studies) as
compared to clinical trials involving humans (“bedside” studies)?
II. Clinical Research Ethics (~2 pages; 15 pts)
a. Provide a brief history of some of the main ethical violations in clinical research based on your readings (and
in your own words). Include a brief discussion on some of the major historical events which prompted laws to
be created to protect humans in research.
b. What specific laws protect clinical research subjects or participants as a result of these violations?
c. What is informed consent and why it is important to obtain prior to starting a clinical research project
involving humans? What are the essential components of informed consent? When can informed consent be
invalid?
d. If you were reading a scientific article, how could you tell that the research was approved by an oversight
committee? What is the name of the committee that approves and oversees research involving humans at
universities?
III. Use of Animals in Research (~2 pages; 15 pts)
a. Give examples of ethical violations involving the use of animals in research. What was the outcome of these
violations?
b. What laws are in existence to protect laboratory animals? What committee is responsible for the approval
and oversight of research involving any animal at universities? What federal organization oversees the
university committee and performs annual inspections of all facilities involved in animal research? Can
research be legally conducted using animals without having approval?
c. Discuss some of the common misconceptions regarding the use of animals in research?
d. Discuss why is animal research important in scientific discovery?
e. Using PubMed to find relevant research articles, give at least 2 examples of scientific discoveries that have
been made in animals. This could be something discovered in laboratory rodents, like improved vision for
blind mice using a new chemical (this did just happen). Or it could be something that an animal was
discovered to naturally have or be adapted to (ex: Gila monster saliva contains a chemical that lowers blood
sugar and is now used to treat diabetes (drug: Byetta)). DO NOT re-use these examples!
IV. Conclusion
What are your final thoughts on the topics?
V. References
List all references used to write your paper in APA format and be sure to cite your references properly within
the text of the paper