Professor Andrew Cheetham

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Ethical Scholarship in Research Ethical
Scholarship Forum

• Professor Andrew Cheetham
• PVC (Research)
• 3 July 2008

Provider Number CRICOS 00917k
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Ethical Scholarship in Research

• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Ethics of Research using Human Subjects
• Ethics of Research using Animal Subjects

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Research Code of Conduct

• The Australia Code for the Responsible Conduct of
  Research ACRCR (2007)
• Foster and maintain a research environment of
  intellectual honesty, integrity and scholarly
  scientific rigor by
• Respecting the truth and rights of those affected
  by the research
• Managing conflicts of interest
• Following proper practices of environment,
  health, safety and security
• Promoting adoption of the code and conform to the
  institutions policies and procedures
• Reporting research misconduct

http//www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/r39s
yn.htm
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UWS Policy Research Code of Conduct

• This policy (based around the ACRCR) forms a
  code of practice for the responsible conduct of
  research. It aims to
• promote the highest possible standards of
  research practice
• protect all those associated with the research
  from any harm that may arise from failures to
  maintain high standards of research conduct
• discourage misconduct and fraud through
  encouraging the open presentation and discussion
  of results via peer review mechanisms
• apply clear procedures for dealing with
  allegations of misconduct
• protect the rights of all those associated with
  the research, human and non-human alike

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Plagiarism

• Is the practice of claiming or implying original
  authorship of (or incorporating material from)
  someone else's written or creative work, in whole
  or in part, into one's own without adequate
  acknowledgement.
• Correct referencing/acknowledgement is the key
• Extract from UWS Research Code of Conduct
• (15) Good research practice requires researchers
  to pay attention to obtaining necessary
  permissions (includes permits, licences),
  correctly attributing authorship, acknowledging
  sources, correctly referencing and avoiding
  plagiarism.

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Responsibility of Researchers in Data Management

• Establish retention date and archive strategy in
  terms of the institutions policy, legislation and
  to enable sufficient time to allow reference by
  other interested parties including other
  researchers.
• Data for Publication
• Researchers given access to confidential
  information must maintain that confidentiality
  and ensure primary materials are kept in secure
  storage.

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Authorship

• Follow policies on authorship and agree on
  authorship of publication at an early stage in a
  project.
• Include all authors, maintain signed
  acknowledgements of authorship for all
  publications.
• Do not allow unacceptable inclusions of
  authorship
• Ensure proper and fair acknowledgement of
  non-authors
• Be guided by the Vancouver Protocol.

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Vancouver Protocol

• Authorship should be based only on substantial
  contributions to
• conception and design, or analysis and
  interpretation of data and to
• drafting the article or revising it critically
  for important intellectual content and on
• final approval of the version to be published.
• Conditions 1, 2, and 3 must all be met.
• Participation solely in the acquisition of
  funding or the collection of data does not
  justify authorship.
• General supervision of the research group is not
  sufficient for authorship.
• Any part of an article critical to its main
  conclusions must be the responsibility of at
  least one author.

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Conflict of Interest

• A conflict of interest exists where there is a
  divergence between the individual interests of a
  person and their professional responsibilities.
• Researchers should
• read and understand the UWS policy on Conflict of
  Interest,
• maintain records of activities that may lead to a
  conflict and
• disclose any conflicts of interest or
• if because of confidentiality you cannot disclose
  details you should declare the conflict and
  withdraw from the situation.

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Introduction Human Ethics

• The federal government endorsed in March 2007 a
  new National Statement on Ethical Conduct in
  Human Research which was developed jointly by
• National Health and Medical Research Council
• Australian Research Council
• Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee
• The new ethics rules strike a sensible balance
  between risk and benefit
• Australian Higher Education, 18 July 2007

http//www.nhmrc.gov.au/ethics/human/conduct/overv
iew.htm
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Overview

• The ethical conduct of research is a shared
  responsibility between
• Researchers who conduct and design research
• Organisations which employ researchers
• Organisations that fund research
• Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) which
  review research
• the National Health and Medical Research Council
  (NHMRC) which publishes guidelines about
  research

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Principles

• Australia has an ethical review system whereby
  each research project is reviewed by an HREC.
• The HREC must determine if the proposed research
  adheres to general ethical principles and is
  hence considered to be ethically acceptable.
• The principles are
• Merit and Integrity
• Respect for persons
• Beneficence, and
• Justice.

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Merit and Integrity

• Justifiable by its potential benefit,
• Designed or developed using appropriate methods
• Based on a thorough study of the current
  literature, as well as previous studies
• Designed to ensure that respect for the
  participants is not compromised
• Conducted or supervised by persons or teams with
  experience, qualifications and competence
• Conducted using facilities and resources
  appropriate for the research.

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Respect

• for human beings is a recognition of their
  intrinsic value.
• requires having due regard for the welfare,
  beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural
  heritage.
• of the privacy, confidentiality and cultural
  sensitivities of the participants.
• for human beings involves giving due scope,
  throughout the research process, to the capacity
  of human beings to make their own decisions.
• respect for those unable to make their own
  decisions involves empowering them or providing
  for their protection.

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Beneficence

• The likely benefit of the research must justify
  any risks of harm or discomfort to participants.
• If there are no likely benefits to participants,
  the risk to participants should be lower.
• Where the risks to participants are no longer
  justified by the potential benefits, the research
  must be suspended.
• The likely benefit may be to the participants, to
  the wider community, or to both.
• Researchers are responsible for
• designing the research to minimise the risks of
  harm or discomfort to participants
• clarifying for participants the potential
  benefits and risks of the research and
• the welfare of the participants in the research
  context.

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Justice

• The selection, exclusion and inclusion of
  categories of research participants is fair, and
  is accurately described in the results of the
  research
• The process of recruiting participants is fair
• There is no unfair burden of participation in the
  research
• There is fair distribution of the benefits of
  participation
• There is no exploitation of participants and
• There is fair access to the benefits of research.

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Animal Ethics

• Researchers must comply with
• the Australian Code of Practice for the care and
  use of animals for scientific purposes
• http//www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/ea16
  syn.htm
• the NSW Animal Research Act
• http//www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/an
  imal-welfare/research-teaching/factsheets/aw-fact0
  1
• National Animal Welfare Bill 2003 2004
• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1985
• Guidelines issued by Gene Technology Regulator.

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Animal Ethics - Continued

• Researchers working with native species need
  approval from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife
  Service.
• All research or teaching exercises involving the
  use of animals must be approved by the UWS Animal
  Care and Ethics Committee.
• The ACEC is a representative Committee made up of
  animal researchers, veterinarians, animal welfare
  representatives and independent members.
• For more information http//www.nhmrc.gov.au/ethic
  s/animal/index.htm

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Animal Care and Ethics Committee

• The ACEC has the responsibility to approve
  proposals (with or without modification) and
  provide ongoing monitoring of projects and animal
  holding facilities.
• By law the Committee is required to maintain
  accurate records on the use and disposal of any
  animals at UWS.
• As a general principle the ACEC accepts the use
  of animals in research and teaching providing
  there is
• a demonstrated educational or research benefit
• no suitable alternatives available at the time
  eg. video
• a minimal number of animals used
• a demonstrated effort to minimise the likely
  impact on the welfare of the animals used.

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Summary

• Compliance with National Guidelines
• Compliance with UWS Guirelines and protocols
• Peer Review
• Benefit Vs Risk
• Protection of participants
• Protection of researchers
• Protection of the Reputation of UWS

Ethical considerations of a research project
should be considered as an integral part of
research planning,not as an additional or
separate process.
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Food for Thought

• Some questions that might help reduce the level
  of uncertainty are
• How do I personally feel about it?
• How would an independent person feel about it?
• How does it sit against the values of the
  University and the spirit of those values?
• What guidance do the University's policies and
  procedures provide?
• How would I justify my actions to others?
• Is it in the best interests of the University?
• How would it look on Page 1 of the Daily Bugle
• The key is if you are not sure seek guidance!