JournalTOCs

Research Ethics
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.249

Number of Followers: 9

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 1747-0161 - ISSN (Online) 2047-6094
Published by Sage Publications

[1176 journals]

Long-form recordings in low- and middle-income countries: recommendations
to achieve respectful research
- Authors: Mathilde Léon, Shoba S Meera, Anne-Caroline Fiévet, Alejandrina Cristia
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  The last decade has seen a rise in big data approaches, including in the humanities, whereby large quantities of data are collected and analysed. In this paper, we discuss long-form audio recordings that result from individuals wearing a recording device for many hours. Linguists, psychologists and anthropologists can use them, for example, to study infants’ or adults’ linguistic behaviour. In the past, recorded individuals and communities have resided in high-income countries (HICs) almost exclusively. Recognising the need for better representation of all cultures and linguistic experiences, researchers have more recently started to collect long-form audio recordings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aim to help researchers to collect, analyse and use these recordings ethically. To do so, we identify four main ethical challenges linked to research that relies on long-form recordings in LMICs. We provide recommendations to overcome these challenges. These considerations should be useful to researchers employing other big data techniques collected via wearables.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-09-13T09:08:21Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231199382
A multi-dimensional learning strategy to foster research integrity
- Authors: Daniel Pizzolato, Kris Dierickx
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Responsible research practices are critical to maintaining integrity in research and the provision of institutional trainings is an important means of promoting research integrity. However, studies show contrasting results on the efficacy of institutional training and that these approaches may not be fully effective in promoting research integrity among individuals and improving the overall climate in research integrity. Therefore, a more comprehensive multi-dimensional learning strategy seems to be needed. This includes continuous and tailored training at different institutional levels, the incorporation of training sessions focusing on the development of the moral character of researchers, and the use of different mentoring practices. With this comprehensive approach, research institutions can foster a culture of integrity in research, improve the overall research integrity climate and promote responsible research practices by individuals.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-09-13T09:02:27Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231198666
Researchers’ responsibilities in resource-constrained settings:
experiences of implementing an ancillary care policy in a vaccine trial in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Authors: Gwen Lemey, Trésor Zola, Ynke Larivière, Solange Milolo, Engbu Danoff, Lazarre Bakonga, Emmanuel Esanga, Peter Vermeiren, Vivi Maketa, Junior Matangila, Patrick Mitashi, Pierre Van Damme, Jean-Pierre Van geertruyden, Raffaella Ravinetto, Hypolite Muhindo-Mavoko
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  In this paper, we discuss challenges associated with implementing a policy for Ancillary Care (AC) for related and unrelated (serious) adverse events during an Ebola vaccine trial conducted in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Conducting clinical trials in resourceconstrained settings can raise context-related challenges that have implications for study participants’ health and wellbeing. During the Ebola vaccine study, three participants were injured in road traffic accidents, but there were unexpected difficulties when trying to apply the AC policy. First, because of the nature of the adverse events, the insurer refused to cover the costs. Second, the AC policy did not address treatments by traditional medicine, even though traditional medicines are frequently used and highly trusted in the study community. This highlighted a contrast between the researchers’ well-intentioned AC approach and the participants’ legitimate preferences. The way in which researchers should address their responsibility to provide AC is not straightforward; it requires contextualization. Our experience highlights the importance of involving community representatives and the local ethics committee to ensure development of an AC policy that is culturally and ethically appropriate. Additionally, the insurance contract should clearly stipulate which adverse events are linked to the trial participation, and thus eligible for coverage, to avoid controversies when claims are made.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-09-09T06:53:32Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231194139
Plagiarism in Higher Education (PLAGiHE) within Sub-Saharan Africa: A
systematic review of a decade (2012–2022) literature
- Authors: Dickson Okoree Mireku, Prosper Dzifa Dzamesi, Brandford Bervell
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  The purpose of this study was to map the distribution of publications on plagiarism among higher educational institutions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies reviewed were based on 171 plagiarism related publications within a decade (2012–2022). Findings revealed that most plagiarism related articles were published in 2016. Additionally, a majority of the studies (53) were from Nigeria and Ghana (23). Most of the articles focused on students’ and faculty’s awareness of plagiarism, and institutional prevention of plagiarism, but were rather marginal on challenges involved in preventing plagiarism, as well as effects of plagiarism. Dominant forms of plagiarism were self-plagiarism, branded plagiarism and commission plagiarism. However, major causes of plagiarism comprised easy access to digital information and resources; poor supervision of students; pressure on academics to publish for promotion; and insufficient skills development regarding ethical academic writing. Additionally, plagiarism preventive software and policies on plagiarism were the main ways of preventing plagiarism. Finally, in fighting plagiarism, higher educational institutions in SSA encountered challenges such as lack of well-trained academic experts to detect and report plagiarism cases; reluctance on the part of technical administrative staff to investigate works for traces of plagiarism; and low plagiarism detection skills from project supervisors. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to stakeholders for future research, policy and practice.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-08-22T04:37:18Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231189646
Stakeholders’ experiences of ethical challenges in cluster randomized
trials in a limited resource setting: a qualitative analysis
- Authors: Tiwonge K Mtande, Carl Lombard, Gonasagrie Nair, Stuart Rennie
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Although the use of the cluster randomized trial (CRT) design to evaluate vaccines, public health interventions or health systems is increasing, the ethical issues posed by the design are not adequately addressed, especially in low- and middle-income country settings (LMICs). To help reveal ethical challenges, qualitative interviews were conducted with key stakeholders experienced in designing and conducting two selected CRTs in Malawi. The 18 interviewed stakeholders included investigators, clinicians, nurses, data management personnel and community workers who were invited to share their experiences related to implementation of CRTs. Data analysis revealed five major themes with ethical implications: (1) The moral obligation for health care providers to participate in health research and its compensation; (2) Suboptimal care services compromising the integrity of CRT; (3) Ensuring scientific validity and withholding care service; (4) Obtaining valid consent and permission for waiver of consent; and (5) Inadequate risk assessment for trial participation. Understanding key ethical issues posed by CRTs in Malawi could improve ethical review and research oversight of this particular study design.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-08-16T06:38:39Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231191247
Planning a ‘negligible risk’ national health service survey' Counting
the cost and strategies for success: a short report
- Authors: Laura Cooper, Kylie Johnston, Marie Williams
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Many countries, including Australia, have established a national scheme that supports the recognition of a single ethical review for multi-centre research conducted in publicly funded health services. However, local site-specific governance review processes remain decentralised and highly variable. This short report describes the ethics and governance processes required for a negligible risk national survey of physiotherapy-led airway clearance services in Australia. We detail inconsistencies in research governance document preparation and submission (platforms, processes, forms and signatories) and report the time cost and likely impact of these inconsistencies on health services research outcomes. Processes and strategies that facilitated success in this project are identified and summarised as helpful hints to other researchers looking to embark on negligible risk research in public health facilities.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-31T10:43:40Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231189602
Defining institutional review board application quality: critical research
gaps and future opportunities
- Authors: Kimberley Serpico
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  The quality of a research study application sends a distinct signal to the institutional review board (IRB) about the skills, capacities, preparation, communication, experience, and resources of its authors. However, efforts to research and define IRB application quality have been insufficient. Inattention to the quality of an IRB application is consequential because the application precedes IRB review, and perceptions of quality between the two may be interrelated and interdependent. Without a clear understanding of quality, IRBs do not know how to define quality and researchers do not know how to achieve quality. This position has not been systematically studied to date, and future research could provide much-needed empirical validation. This paper lays the conceptual groundwork for future investigation into what constitutes quality in an IRB application. It includes a landscape review of multidisciplinary research on quality, as well as a discussion of quality frameworks analogous to research with human participants that exist in the published literature. It also examines the background and significance of federal research regulations, regulatory burdens, researchers’ regulatory literacy, and the roles and responsibilities of IRB professionals within this ecosystem.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-27T07:30:28Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231187099
Protected from harm, harmed by protection: ethical consequences of the
exclusion of pregnant participants from clinical trials
- Authors: Rebecca L Zur
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Pregnancy is a frequently applied exclusion criteria for many forms of research. Common justifications for this exclusion include the potential for teratogenicity, as well as the potential for physiologic changes in pregnancy to impact the research itself. The systematic exclusion of pregnant persons from clinical studies has created a significant gap in knowledge regarding medication safety and efficacy in pregnancy, which continues to cause significant harm to pregnant persons in need of medical therapy. To produce meaningful data and facilitate effective knowledge translation to the clinical setting, special consideration to the pharmacology of pregnancy, as well as to outcomes of concern for this population is essential. The exclusion of pregnant participants from research is not ethically justifiable, as it violates the principles of autonomy, justice and nonmaleficence. While the inclusion of pregnant patients in research presents it’s own challenges, with appropriate methodological, ethical, and clinical considerations, we may be able to narrow the knowledge gap and improve drug availability and safety for pregnant patients and their children.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-26T06:36:58Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231189843
Reconceptualizing participant vulnerability in Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning research: exploring the perspectives of health faculty students
in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Authors: Amanda B Lees, Rosemary Godbold, Simon Walters
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  While the need to protect vulnerable research participants is universal, conceptual challenges with the notion of vulnerability may result in the under or over-protection of participants. Ethics review bodies making assumptions about who is vulnerable and in what circumstance can be viewed as paternalistic if they do not consider participant viewpoints. Our study focuses on participant vulnerability in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research. We aim to illuminate students’ views on participant vulnerability to contribute to critical analysis of the role and processes of ethics review. Additionally, we aim to highlight the importance of seeking the views of participant communities, especially in research environments beyond ethics review’s medical origins. Thirty-four students from a health-related faculty at a university in Aotearoa New Zealand, participated in five focus groups. Participants discussed factors affecting their potential participation in research drawing upon a series of vignettes based on examples of published SoTL projects. Themes, generated using reflexive thematic analysis, built a participant-informed picture of vulnerability. Findings indicate that students do not generally consider themselves vulnerable and instead consider participation in SoTL research through an agentic lens. Students expect that participation will be voluntary, not negatively impact their grades, and not single them out so that others could judge them. Our study also highlights the value students place on relationships with one another and teaching staff and the implications these have for SoTL research participation and future professional practice. This research challenges research ethics committees to think further about vulnerability in the context of SoTL whilst highlighting the importance of providing opportunities for research participants more broadly to explore and vocalize their views as members of participant communities.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-26T06:34:44Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231188720
Who reviews what you do at the zoo' Considerations for research ethics
with captive exotic animals
- Authors: Eduardo J Fernandez, Todd J McWhorter
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Research in zoos is an important scientific endeavor that requires several complex considerations in order to occur. Among those many considerations are the ethics involved in conducting zoo research. However, it is not always clear how zoo researchers should go about resolving any research ethics matters, even determining when some type of research ethics committee should be involved in those deliberations. Our paper attempts to provide some resolutions for these issues, namely in three sections: (1) a brief history of human and animal research ethics, (2) general guidelines for zoo research ethics applications, and (3) theoretical, ethical dilemmas at the zoo. In each section, we consider pragmatic attempts to resolve any issues, as well as provide examples to illustrate our points. The primary focus of the paper is to facilitate consideration of the wide array of ethical factors any zoo researcher might encounter, as well as provide a basic set of ethical guidelines for zoo research. We also emphasize the importance of the welfare of the animals for all zoo research projects.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-25T09:10:23Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231188615
Shifting attitudes on animal ‘ownership’: Ethical implications for
welfare research and practice terminology
- Authors: Julia Sophie Lyn Henning, Ana Goncalves Costa, Eduardo Jose Fernandez
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  The roles companion animals have played in our lives has dramatically changed over the last few decades. At the same time, the terms we use to describe both the people and animals in these human-animal relationships have also changed. One example includes the use of the terms ‘owner’ or ‘guardian’ to refer to the human caretaker. While preferences by society appear to indicate increased interest in referring to companion animal caretakers as ‘guardians’, others have cautioned against its use or attempted to restrict it. Additionally, the use of animal welfare terminology has direct implications for how we conduct both welfare research and practice. Our paper examines the use of ‘owner’ and ‘guardian’ with respect to (1) the implications for changing terminology on the function, clarity and uniformity of their use, and (2) the ethical and welfare impact that coincides with each term’s use. Our goal is to propose terminological considerations that could influence future welfare research, as well as help guide our interactions with companion animals.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-11T07:12:30Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231186060
Ethical considerations and dilemmas for the researcher and for families in
home-based research: A case for situated ethics
- Authors: Ioanna Palaiologou, Alice Brown
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  When researching with or about families in home-based research, there are numerous unexpected ethical issues that can emerge, particularly in qualitative research. This paper is based on reflective accounts of four homed-based research projects, two in the UK and two Australia, which examined ethical dilemmas identified when engaged in home-based research with young children. Using a synergy of ecocultural theory and Foucauldian ideas of Heterotopia as theoretical conceptualisations, the authors employed reflective lenses to guide their approach, and examine dilemmas and complexities when conducting research in the home. We argue that, to address ethical dilemmas, researchers need to problematise and reflect upon the nature of respectful approaches and the ethical implications of their behaviours. We conclude that, although ethical codes are valuable when researching families at home, researchers should plan for and forefront their methodological approaches in ways that are family-centred, whilst also framed by practices that are ethical, respectful and reflective to the situated contexts of family’s ecologies and heterotopias.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-07-04T06:23:18Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231181860
Opinions and attitudes of research ethics committees in Arab countries in
the Middle East and North African region toward ethical issues involving
biobank research
- Authors: Zeinab Mohammed, Fatma Abdelgawad, Mamoun Ahram, Maha E Ibrahim, Alya Elgamri, Ehsan Gamel, Latifa Adarmouch, Karima El Rhazi, Samar Abd ElHafeez, Henry Silverman
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Members of research ethics committees (RECs) face a number of ethical challenges when reviewing genomic research. These include issues regarding the content and type of consent, the return of individual research results, mechanisms of sharing specimens and health data, and appropriate community engagement efforts. This article presents the findings from a survey that sought to investigate the opinions and attitudes of REC members from four Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, and Jordan) toward these ethical issues. Our findings suggest that efforts are required to better familiarize REC members with the requirements for ethical biobank research. Additionally, we recommend that further research is undertaken with REC members regarding the main items that should be present in the Material Transfer Agreements /Data Transfer Agreements in their corresponding countries and the type of consent that should be used in genomic research.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-30T06:28:10Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231185510
Agreement of farm animal behaviour and welfare studies with the ARRIVE
Essential 10
- Authors: Javiera Calderón-Amor, Daniela Luna, Tamara A Tadich
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  The inclusion of animals in research studies involves a great responsibility to ensure animal welfare within the relevant ethical and legal frameworks. This study aimed to review compliance with the ARRIVE Essential 10 requirements and the ethical oversight of animal behaviour and welfare studies in farm animals. Three journals and a total of 133 articles were reviewed for compliance with the ARRIVE Essential 10 items and criteria. Each article obtained a final score according to whether or not each criterion was met within each item. Likewise, ethical declaration in each article was recorded. Chi-square test and linear models were built to assess associations between the ethical statement presentation and the final ARRIVE Essential 10 score with the country, the species, and the journal. We found that 15% of the articles did not present an ethical statement. The journal with the highest impact factor and the countries of the Global South presented an ethical statement more frequently. Regarding the Essential 10, the item with the lowest agreement score was ‘Blinding’ and the one with the highest agreement was ‘Outcome Measures’. Also, significant differences were found between journals in terms of the Essential 10 score. Essential 10 provides relevant information that allows reviewers and readers to identify possible welfare risks and the validity of the results in animal welfare science publications.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-30T06:16:11Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231183100
Ethical standards for research on marine mammals
- Authors: Vassili Papastavrou, Conor Ryan
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Conducting marine mammal research can raise several important ethical issues. For example, the continuation of whaling for commercial purposes despite the international moratorium provides opportunities for scientists to obtain data and tissue samples. In 2021 we analysed 35 peer-reviewed papers reporting research based on collaborations with Icelandic whalers. Results highlighted little consideration or understanding of the legal and ethical issues associated with the deliberate killing of whales amongst those researchers, funding bodies, universities and journals involved. Ethical statements were rarely provided. Those that were written were incomplete. Whilst research using whaling data may seem acceptable to some, it often becomes hard to justify when subject to scrutiny by the media and the public. Thus, there is a particular danger of reputational harm for early career researchers who may become unwittingly involved in such activities. Here we also consider the broader variety of ethical issues raised by non-lethal research (both historical and recent) on marine mammals including tagging and biopsy. We discuss instances where study animals were harmed or even killed and where the public mistook tags for harpoons. Without clear guidelines, reviewers and journal editors are put in an impossible position when considering whether to reject papers on ethical grounds. We propose that for such studies, universities, funders, journals, and permit issuers must require ethical assessments and that journals more effectively implement their existing policies on publishing ethical statements. The professional marine mammal societies need to work together to produce modern ethical guidance. Such guidance should require transparency in the provenance of data and samples while including advice on law, welfare issues, involvement of local scientists, and offshoring. Furthermore, it should require appraisal of and justification for the absolute necessity of invasive procedures. As is already the case in biomedical disciplines, ethical statements should be required in marine mammal science.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-22T12:23:46Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231182066
The ethics of disclosing the use of artificial intelligence tools in
writing scholarly manuscripts
- Authors: Mohammad Hosseini, David B Resnik, Kristi Holmes
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  In this article, we discuss ethical issues related to using and disclosing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and other systems based on large language models (LLMs), to write or edit scholarly manuscripts. Some journals, such as Science, have banned the use of LLMs because of the ethical problems they raise concerning responsible authorship. We argue that this is not a reasonable response to the moral conundrums created by the use of LLMs because bans are unenforceable and would encourage undisclosed use of LLMs. Furthermore, LLMs can be useful in writing, reviewing and editing text, and promote equity in science. Others have argued that LLMs should be mentioned in the acknowledgments since they do not meet all the authorship criteria. We argue that naming LLMs as authors or mentioning them in the acknowledgments are both inappropriate forms of recognition because LLMs do not have free will and therefore cannot be held morally or legally responsible for what they do. Tools in general, and software in particular, are usually cited in-text, followed by being mentioned in the references. We provide suggestions to improve APA Style for referencing ChatGPT to specifically indicate the contributor who used LLMs (because interactions are stored on personal user accounts), the used version and model (because the same version could use different language models and generate dissimilar responses, e.g., ChatGPT May 12 Version GPT3.5 or GPT4), and the time of usage (because LLMs evolve fast and generate dissimilar responses over time). We recommend that researchers who use LLMs: (1) disclose their use in the introduction or methods section to transparently describe details such as used prompts and note which parts of the text are affected, (2) use in-text citations and references (to recognize their used applications and improve findability and indexing), and (3) record and submit their relevant interactions with LLMs as supplementary material or appendices.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-15T10:45:08Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231180449
Who owns your consent' How REBs give away participants’ agency
- Authors: Janice Aurini, Vanessa Iafolla
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  We draw on three illustrative vignettes to examine how REBs manage participants’ agency in the context of qualitative research. We ask: Who owns a participant’s consent' Central to informed consent is the principle of Respect for Persons, which privileges the autonomy of individuals to make decisions about what happens (or not) to them. Yet, REBs sometimes require researchers to get permission from organizations to conduct research on their current and former members, even when the research is not about those organizations. Our aim is to raise awareness about the inherent contradictions of this practice and to consider guidelines for determining the appropriateness of involving organizations that may be tangentially connected to the research objectives or potential participants.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-14T11:43:10Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231180829
Reshaping consent so we might improve participant choice (II) –
helping people decide
- Authors: Hugh Davies, Rosie Munday, Maeve O’Reilly, Catriona Gilmour Hamilton, Arzhang Ardahan, Simon E Kolstoe, Katie Gillies
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Research consent processes must provide potential participants with the necessary information to help them decide if they wish to join a study. On the Oxford ‘A’ Research Ethics Committee we’ve found that current research proposals mostly provide adequate detail (even if not in an easily comprehensible format), but often fail to support decision making, a view supported by published evidence. In a previous paper, we described how consent might be structured, and here we develop the concept of an Information and Decision Aid (IDA) that can support decision making and be used to guide the dialogue between researcher and potential participant. Our proposal requires limited changes to current processes or paperwork and would provide an easily accessible document for others that the potential participant might approach for advice. It could later be integrated with the Informed Consent Form to ensure all matters of concern to the individual participant have been addressed before consent is formally signed off.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-12T11:14:12Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231176932
Research ethics committee members’ perspectives on paediatric research:
a qualitative interview study
- Authors: Kajsa Norberg Wieslander, Anna T Höglund, Sara Frygner-Holm, Tove Godskesen
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Research ethics committees (RECs) have a crucial role in protecting children in research. However, studies on REC members’ perspectives on paediatric research are scarce. We conducted a qualitative study to explore Swedish scientific REC members’ perspectives on ethical aspects in applications involving children with severe health conditions. The REC members considered promoting participation, protecting children and regulatory adherence to be central aspects. The results underscored the importance of not neglecting ill children’s rights to adapted information and participation. REC members supported a contextual and holistic approach to vulnerability and risk, which considers the child’s and parents’ psychological wellbeing and the child’s integrity, both short and long term. The ethical complexity of paediatric research requires continuous ethical competence development within RECs.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-12T09:31:15Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231179663
Afterlife: the post-research affect and effect of software
- Authors: Nicolas E Gold, Ian Lawson, Neil P Oxtoby
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Software plays an important role in contemporary research. Aside from its use for administering traditional instruments like surveys and in data analysis, the widespread use of mobile and web apps for social, medical and lifestyle engagement has led to software becoming a research intervention in its own right. For example, it is not unusual to find apps being studied for their utility as interventions in health and social life. Since the software may persist in use beyond the life of an investigation, this raises questions as to the extent of ethical duties for researchers involved in its production and/or study towards the participants involved. Key factors identified include the extent of affect created by the software, the effect it has on a participant’s life, the length of investigation, cost of maintenance and participant agency. In this article we discuss the issues raised in such situations, considering them in the context of post-research duties of care and suggesting strategies to balance the burden on researchers with the need for ongoing participant support.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-10T12:34:42Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231178450
Deception and informed consent in studies with incognito simulated
standardized patients: empirical experiences and a case study from South
Africa
- Authors: Benjamin Daniels, Jody Boffa, Ada Kwan, Sizulu Moyo
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Simulated standardized patients (SPs) are trained individuals who pose incognito as people seeking treatment in a health care setting. With the method’s increasing use and popularity, we propose some standards to adapt the method to contextual considerations of feasibility, and we discuss current issues with the SP method and the experience of consent and ethical research in international SP studies. Since a foundational discussion of the research ethics of the method was published in 2012, a growing number of studies have implemented this method to collect data on the quality of care in a variety of settings around the world. We draw from that experience to provide empirical foundations for a popular approach to ethical approval of such studies in the United States and Canada, which has been to obtain a waiver of informed consent from the health care providers who are the subjects of the research. However, the majority of studies to date have evaluated quality of care outside the U.S., requiring additional ethical consideration when partnering with international institutions. We discuss these considerations in the context of a case study from a completed SP study in South Africa, where informed consent is constitutionally protected.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-05-23T05:49:08Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231174734
Systemic disruptions: decolonizing indigenous research ethics using
indigenous knowledges
- Authors: Cathy Fournier, Suzanne Stewart, Joshua Adams, Clayton Shirt, Esha Mahabir
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Research involving and impacting Indigenous Peoples is often of little or no benefit to the communities involved and, in many cases, causes harm. Ensuring that Indigenous research is not only ethical but also of benefit to the communities involved is a long-standing problem that requires fundamental changes in higher education. To address this necessity for change, the authors of this paper, with the help of graduate and Indigenous community research assistants, undertook community consultation across their university to identify the local and national ethical needs of Indigenous researchers, communities, and Elders. This paper provides an overview of the consultation process, the themes that emerged from the consultations, and a model of the Wholistic Indigenous Research Framework that emerged.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-04-21T06:34:00Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231169205
Researchers’ reflections on ethics of care as decolonial research
practice: understanding Indigenous knowledge communication systems to
navigate moments of ethical tension in rural Malawi
- Authors: Mtisunge Isabel Kamlongera, Mkotama W Katenga-Kaunda
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  This article is autoethnographic, based upon the authors’ experiences and reflections upon encountered moments of ethical tension whilst conducting research in rural Malawi. Given that knowledge production, as a process, has been marred by colonial forms of power, the project was underpinned by efforts to achieve a decolonial approach to the research, including the research ethics. The authors share of their endeavours to counterbalance the challenges of power asymmetries whilst researching and working with an Indigenous community whose reality can be marginalised by the Western canon. The authors attempted to ensure that the values and customs of the researched community were respected and central to the research approach. When researchers are guided by local culture and customs, the participants are able to drive the research approach, incorporate their voice and share knowledge that is true to their context and reality. In this way, the research study is illustrative of how an ethics of care can help to facilitate decolonial research practice.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-04-15T06:21:15Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231169484
Cannabis, research ethics, and a duty of care
- Authors: Johannes Wheeldon, Jon Heidt
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Despite growing evidence to the contrary, researchers continue to posit causal links between cannabis, crime, psychosis, and violence. These spurious connections are rooted in history and fueled decades of structural limitations that shaped how researchers studied cannabis. Until recently, research in this area was explicitly funded to link cannabis use and harm and ignore any potential benefits. Post-prohibition cannabis research has failed to replicate the dire findings of the past. This article outlines how the history of controlling cannabis research has led to various harms, injustices, and ethical complications. We compare commonly cited research from both the prohibition and post-prohibition eras and argue that many popular claims about the dangers of cannabis are the result of ethical lapses by researchers, journals, and funders. We propose researchers in this area adopt a duty of care in cannabis research going forward. This would oblige individual researchers to establish robust research designs, employ careful analytic strategies, and acknowledge limitations in more detail. This duty involves the institutional recognition by funders, journals, and others that cannabis research has been deliberately misconstrued to criminalize, stigmatize, and pathologize.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-04-07T11:45:33Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231164530
Research Responsibility Agreement: a tool to support ethical research
- Authors: Melanie Murdock, Stephanie Erickson
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  When engaging in community-based research, it is important to consider ethical research practices throughout the project. While current research practices require many investigators to obtain approval from an ethics review board before starting a project, more is required to ensure that ethical principles are applied once the investigations begin and after the investigations are complete. In response to this concern, as expressed by workers at a feminist non-profit during a community placement, we developed a tool to foster both greater ethical and feminist research practice in community-based research. Using feminist theories, methodologies, and concepts such as epistemic justice, epistemic trust, and coauthorship, a tool was developed to support researchers and other collaborators in building relationships of reciprocity. This tool, called the Research Responsibility Agreement (RRA) invites all members of a research project to explicitly reflect on their role in the research, their relationships with other collaborators, their responsibility to contributing meaningfully in the project, and their plans to remain accountable to one another. In doing so, the RRA adds to existing tools that support ethical research by sharing explicit reflections from all collaborators on how to prevent harm and by asking them to reflect on ethical practices beyond the initial stages of the project. The RRA also encourages greater engagement from researchers and collaborators toward building meaningful relationships with each other, and with participants, to work together in advancing social change. As a practical tool that promotes reflection, that builds relationships, and that holds all parties accountable to ethical and feminist research practices, the RRA has the potential to generate impactful change in community-based research projects and beyond. While the RRA is tailored to community-based research, it can be applied widely to any research project and has the potential to revolutionize how research relationships are built across disciplines.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-04-07T11:43:13Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231166600
VIRT2UE: A European train-the-trainer programme for teaching research
integrity
- Authors: Natalie Evans, Armin Schmolmueller, Margreet Stolper, Giulia Inguaggiato, Astrid Hooghiemstra, Ruzica Tokalic, Daniel Pizzolato, Nicole Foeger, Ana Marušić, Marc van Hoof, Dirk Lanzerath, Bert Molewijk, Kris Dierickx, Guy Widdershoven on
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  Universities and other research institutions are increasingly providing additional training in research integrity to improve the quality and reliability of research. Various training courses have been developed, with diverse learning goals and content. Despite the importance of training that focuses on moral character and professional virtues, there remains a lack of training that adopts a virtue ethics approach. To address this, we, a European Commission-funded consortium, have designed a train-the-trainer programme for research integrity. The programme is based on (1) virtue ethics, (2) the ethos of science, (3) learning by doing and (4) learner-centred teaching. The blended learning programme combines e-learning modules with participatory group sessions. Trainers are taught how to guide researchers through a series of structured exercises for fostering reflection on scientific virtues, and how to promote understanding and application of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Trainers are provided with adaptable tools and resources that can be used and combined in different ways. The programme implementation began in Spring 2020 and 470 trainers have participated to date. When trainers were asked to grade – between 0 (very bad) and 10 (excellent) – the e-learning modules and the participatory exercises, 60% scored a grade 8 or higher (median = 8, IQR = 2) for the e-learning modules, whereas 80% scored a grade 8 or higher (median = 9, IQR = 1) for the participatory exercises. A majority felt that the training helped them as a trainer to learn about ways to organise and teach a research integrity course (82%) and would recommend the interactive exercises to others (92%). Trainers have educated over 3300 researchers in Europe using our virtue-based approach. The VIRT2UE train-the-trainer programme fosters research integrity by providing trainers with exercises and tools which enable them to stimulate the development of good researchers across Europe.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-03-23T08:25:29Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231161267
The Harraseeket Conference – Revisiting systems for ethics oversight of
research with human participants
- Authors: Stephen J Rosenfeld, George Shaler, Ross Hickey
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  The current system of ethical oversight in the United States is based on Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. The system was established in response to well-known and egregious mistreatment of subjects in both biomedical and social and behavioral research. In the decades since the research regulations were enacted, reaction to the burden of IRB oversight has led the system to focus on compliance and limit its active oversight disproportionately to studies that could present the risk of physical harm. At the same time, the characteristics of the research enterprise have changed and methodologies now present novel risks that were not envisioned in the regulations. We convened a group of IRB professionals, academic leaders, and others to discuss limitations of the current system, how that system could be changed to recognize evolving risks and an increasing focus on participant and community voice, and how it could better serve the needs of researchers and support the societal project of science as a public good. Recommendations included a call to reexamine the academic incentive structure, to develop a system to support consideration of ethical principles from the time of study design, and to explicitly provide different ethical support and oversight for high-risk interventional trials and lower risk biomedical and social behavioral research.
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-03-23T01:19:52Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231157053
Correction Statement: Conflict of Interest Statements
- Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-02-25T09:43:28Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231159498
Erratum to “Using wearable cameras to investigate health-related daily
life experiences: A literature review of precautions and risks in
empirical studies”
- Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-02-25T09:41:55Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231159486
Let’s do better: Improving research ethics knowledge, practice and
systems of oversight
- Authors: Edward Dove, Kate Chatfield
  First page: 227
  Abstract: Research Ethics, Ahead of Print.
  
  Citation: Research Ethics
  PubDate: 2023-06-22T09:03:34Z
  DOI: 10.1177/17470161231183840