Activity: Research Check Point

•Identify what characteristic of

research is describe in the following
statements.
__________ 1. The results of research must not be
based on biases.
__________ 2. The conduct of research follows a definite
method and it has specific parts.
__________ 3. Plagiarism must be avoided.
__________ 4. The choice of variables used in the study
should be explained by the researcher.
__________ 5. The research must be achievable.
• Ethics are broadly the set of rules, written and
unwritten, that govern our expectations of our own
and others’ behaviour.
• Effectively, they set out how we expect others to
behave, and why. While there is broad agreement
on some ethical values (for example, that murder
is bad), there is also wide variation on how exactly
these values should be interpreted in practice.
• Research ethics are the set of ethics that govern
how scientific and other research is performed at
research institutions such as universities, and how
it is disseminated.
• Study the following situations, then comment on
the actions done.
1. The students of Teacher M always fail in her
exams. To make the necessary action, she
conducted a qualitative research on this issue
without informing her students.
2. Gabby, a graduating student, claimed the
research work of another student from a
neighboring school. He erased the name of the
original researcher and placed his own.
3. A group of Senior High School researchers
secretly chose their adviser as a subject of their
research.
4. To maximize the participants in her study,
Pauline, the Class President, forced all her
classmates to join the study.
5. Because of lack of respondents, Group A
answered their survey forms and put other
people’s name on them.
Research ethics are important for a number of
reasons.
1. They promote the aims of research, such as
expanding knowledge, truth and credibility.
2. They support the values required for
collaborative work, such as mutual respect and
fairness. This is essential because scientific
research depends on collaboration between
researchers and groups.
3. They mean that researchers can be held
accountable for their actions. Many researchers are
supported by public money, and regulations on
conflicts of interest, misconduct, and research
involving humans or animals are necessary to
ensure that money is spent appropriately.
4. They ensure that the public can trust research. For
people to support and fund research, they have to
be confident in it.
5. They support important social and moral values,
such as the principle of doing no harm to others.
• This means that you need to report your research
honestly, and that this applies to your methods
(what you did), your data, your results, and
whether you have previously published any of it.
• Data should never be fabricated, falsified or
misinterpreted.
2. Objectivity
• You should aim to avoid bias in any aspect of your research,
including design, data analysis, interpretation, and peer
review.
• For example, you should never recommend as a peer
reviewer someone you know, or who you have worked
with, and you should try to ensure that no groups are
inadvertently excluded from your research.
• This also means that you need to disclose any personal or
financial interests that may affect your research.
3. Integrity
• When working with others, you should always keep to
any agreements, and act sincerely.
• Consistency of thought and action is the foundation of
the credibility of any research work.
• Promises and agreements should be kept and all
actions should be made with a sincere purpose.
4. Carefulness
• Careless errors and negligence must be avoided.
• Take care in carrying out your research to avoid careless
mistakes. You should also review your work carefully and
critically to ensure that your results are credible.
• It is also important to keep full records of your research. If
you are asked to act as a peer reviewer, you should take
the time to do the job effectively and fully.
5. Openness
• You should always be prepared to share to the
public your data and results, along with any new
tools that you have developed, when you publish
your findings, as this helps to further knowledge
and advance science.
• You should also be open to criticism and new
ideas.
6. Respect for Intellectual Property
• You should never plagiarize, or copy, other people’s work
and try to pass it off as your own.
• You should always ask for permission before using other
people’s tools or methods, unpublished data or results. Not
doing so is plagiarism.
• Obviously, you need to respect copyrights and patents,
together with other forms of intellectual property, and
always acknowledge contributions to your research. If in
doubt, acknowledge, to avoid any risk of plagiarism.
7. Confidentiality
•You should respect anything that has
been provided in confidence. You
should also follow guidelines on
protection of sensitive information such
as patient records.
8. Responsible Publication
•You should publish to advance to state
of research and knowledge, and not just
to advance your career. This means, in
essence, that you should not publish
anything that is not new, or that
duplicates someone else’s work.
9. Responsible Mentoring
•The research should seek to educate,
mentor, and advise students.
10. Respect for Colleagues
•All peers should be treated fairly.
11. Social Responsibility
•Social good should be promoted and
social harm should be avoided.
12. Non-Discrimination
•All those eligible to participate in
research should be allowed to do so.
13. Legality
•You should always be aware of laws and
regulations that govern your work, and be
sure that you conform to them.
14. Competence
•Professional competence and expertise
should be maintained and improved with
the research.
15. Animal Care
•If you are using animals in your research,
you should always be sure that your
experiments are both necessary and well-
designed. You should also show respect for
the animals you are using, and make sure
that they are properly cared for.
16. Human Subjects Protection
• Harms and risks to human lives should be
minimized.
• Human dignity, privacy and autonomy should be
among the primary considerations of the research.
• Human rights must also be respected in the
conduct of research.
1. Voluntary Participation
• Any person should not be coerced to participate in
any research undertaking.
2. Informed Consent
• Prospective research participants must be fully
informed about the procedures and risks involved
in the research. Their consent to participate must
be secured.
3. Risk of Harm
• Participants should be protected from physical,
financial, or psychological harm. The principle of
non-maleficence states that it is the researcher’s
duty to avoid, prevent, or minimize harm to the
participants of the study.
4. Confidentiality
• Participants must be assured that their identity
and other personal information will not be made
available to anyone who is not directly involved in
the study.
5. Anonymity
• The participants must remain anonymous
throughout the study even to the researcher
themselves.