University of Guyana Biology Department Research Methods in Biology Week 2 PDF

University of Guyana Faculty of Natural Sciences Biology Department BIO 3109 – Research Methods in Biology Week 2  Research ethics and integrity Responsible conduct of research: –principles of rigor, respect and responsibility –critical thinki...

University of Guyana Faculty of Natural Sciences Biology Department BIO 3109 – Research Methods in Biology Week 2  Research ethics and integrity Responsible conduct of research: –principles of rigor, respect and responsibility –critical thinking processes  Research Ethics and Integrity Research is a scientific inquiry aimed at learning new facts and testing ideas through the systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data. Why undertake research? – To increase our understanding of the phenomenon under study – To contribute to a body of knowledge or theory – To overcome a lack of data – To understand the ecological, social and economic context (sustainable development) – To control the accuracy of data collection – To open new frontiers of knowledge (new lines of thinking and for challenging conventional wisdom)  Research Ethics and Integrity Research ethics refers to the moral principles that guides research from its inception through to completion and publication of results and beyond. The ethics of planning, conducting and reporting of research is key. Dimensions of research ethics: – Collect, use and interpretation of research data – Methods for reporting and reviewing research plans and findings – Relationships between researchers and those that will be affected by their research – Relationships among researchers and with one another – Options for promoting ethical conduct in research  Research Ethics and Integrity Theories of ethics:  Deontological theory – ethical theory that distinguishes right from wrong based on rules. This requires that people follow the rules and do their duty, which fits in well with our natural intuition about what is or isn’t ethical. o Deontology does not require weighing the costs and benefits of a situation and this avoids subjectivity and uncertainty because you only have to follow set rules. o Researchers ought to respect every human being, even if this would have some unfortunate consequences.  Research Ethics and Integrity Theories of ethics:  Deontological theory:- o Notwithstanding its strengths, strictly following deontology can produce results that many people find unacceptable. For example, suppose you’re a biochemical engineer and learn that a prototype that you created might infect millions of people once released. You can break into the lab and destroy the prototype, but it’s against your professional code of ethics. This is a form of cheating and lying, since deontology advises not to violate this rule. However, in allowing the release of the prototype, millions of people will die. o So, following the rules simplifies the application of deontology, but it also means disregarding the possible consequences of our actions when determining what is right and what is wrong.  Research Ethics and Integrity Theories of ethics:  Consequentialism theory – ethical theory that judges whether or not something is right by what its consequences are. For instance, a lot of people would agree that lying is wrong, but if telling a lie would aid in saving a person’s life, consequentialism says it’s the right thing to do. o Consequentialism is linked to John Stuart Mill, which advocated that people should seek to act in accordance with the consequences of their behaviour and minimize human suffering.  Research Ethics and Integrity Theories of ethics:  Consequentialism theory – o Some examples of consequentialism are: I. Utilitarianism – judges consequences by a greatest good for the greatest number standard. So, as long as the action is to everybody including the person who carries out the action, it is right. II. Hedonism – says something is good if the consequences produces pleasure or avoids pain. III. Ethical Altruism – as long as the action is good to everyone else, it is right. IV. Ethical Egoism – as long as the action is good to the person who carries the action out, it is right.  Research Ethics and Integrity Theories of ethics:  Consequentialism theory:- o It is difficult or even impossible to know what the result of an action will be ahead of time and this sometimes results in the criticism of consequentialism. o Consequentialism can sometimes lead to decisions that are objectionable, although the consequences are arguably good. o For example, let’s suppose an environmental economist could prove that the world economy would be stronger, and that most people would be healthier, wealthier and happier, if we just removed 5% of the forest. Even though many people would benefit from this idea, most would never agree to it. (contrary to sustainable development)  Research Ethics and Integrity Rules in research ethics:  Privacy – concerns respect for limited access to another person. Research participants grant access to their thoughts, feelings and behaviour when they agree to take part in a story, but not unlimited access.  Confidentiality – the right to control information about oneself. A person may grant access to information about himself or herself, but this does not mean they relinquish control over the information obtained.  Consent – seek permission from research subject before conducting research (e.g., Free Prior and Informed Consent, FPIC).  Honesty – strive for truthfulness in all scientific communications.  Research Ethics and Integrity Rules in research ethics:  Objectivity – strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, interpretation, peer review, personnel decisions, grant writing, expert testimony and other aspects of research where objectivity is expected or required.  Integrity – keep promises and agreements, act with sincerity and be consistent.  Carefulness – avoid carless errors and negligence. Carefully and critically examine your work and the work of your peers. Keep records of research activities such as data collection sheets, research design, maps etc.  Human Subjects Protection – when conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits; respect human dignity and privacy; take special precautions with vulnerable groups (indigenous people); and strive to distribute the benefits and burdens of research fairly.  Research Ethics and Integrity Rules in research ethics:  Fidelity – being loyal and keeping promises.  Respect for Intellectual Property – honour patents, copyrights and other forms of intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data, methods or results without permission. Give credit where credit is due.  Competence – through lifelong education and learning, strive to maintain and improve your own professional competence and take steps to promote competence in science as a whole.  Non-Discrimination – avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors that are not related to their scientific competence and integrity. NEVER PLAGIARIZE  Research Ethics and Integrity (Bryman, Alan. 2012. Social Research Methods. 4th Edition. Oxford University Press)  Research Ethics and Integrity Useful link: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD-YCDE_5yw (Yale School of Medicine Professor Robert Levine spoke on guidelines for human subjects protection)  Responsible Conduct of Research Responsible conduct of research (RCR) – deals with the practice of scientific investigation with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research. Ethical and responsible conduct of research is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, in science and engineering. Consequently, education in the responsible and ethical conduct of research is considered essential in the preparation of future scientists and engineers. (UC Santa Barbara, 2017)  Responsible Conduct of Research Some key areas of RCR are: – Collaborative Science – collaborations take place in a variety of forms, including the borrowing and lending of supplies, resources and equipment between researchers; seeking input from an expert in a different discipline; and partnering with colleagues who have a similar background or field of knowledge for fresh ideas and abilities. – Human Research Protections – research with human participants plays a central role in advancing knowledge in the biomedical, behavioural and social sciences. – Lab Animal Welfare – improve laboratory animal welfare through the implementation of policies and regulations that both maintain the integrity of scientific research and sustain the welfare of such animals. (American Psychological Association, 2018)  Responsible Conduct of Research Some key areas of RCR are: – Mentoring – mentoring a less-experienced researcher is a professional responsibility of all scientists. The ultimate goal of the mentor is to establish the trainee as an independent researcher. – Peer Review – positive peer reviews contribute to increased funding opportunities, academic advancement and a good reputation. – Publications Practices and Responsible Authorship – although researchers can disseminate their findings through many different avenues, results are most likely to be published as an article in a scholarly journal. (American Psychological Association, 2018)  Responsible Conduct of Research Principles of rigor, respect and responsibility  Rigor: – Intellectual rigor is linked to well-reasoned judgements. – It is paramount that students learn how to differentiate opinions based on emotions from those supported by evidence and logical argument. – Students view ethics as opinion and therefore ethical issues are not worthy discussing or cannot be resolved. However, this viewpoint is a key misconception among students. – The discipline of ethics stresses an analytical approach to evaluating issues. – Therefore, the extent to which students analyze the ethical dilemma and how well-justified and supported their arguments are, matters the most when evaluating issues.  Responsible Conduct of Research Principles of rigor, respect and responsibility  Rigor: – Honesty and integrity forms the basis of rigorous research. – As researchers, everything we do should be as skilful and as careful as we can make it. Therefore, our techniques should be up-to-date and we should learn new ones as appropriate. – If corrupt practices and professional misconduct are encountered we should do whatever necessary to stop them, and adopt procedures to detect and discourage such practices. – We should always be cognisant of the ways in which research depends on and has an impact on others’ work.  Responsible Conduct of Research Principles of rigor, respect and responsibility  Respect: – All research has implications for the lives of others, is governed by law, and can make a direct or indirect contribution to the public good. – All of these considerations must be recognised and respected. – Therefore, we must have a care for life and work in ways that are lawful and publicly accountable. – Any potentially adverse effects that our research may have on people, animals and the natural environment, should be taken into account. – Always respect the rights and privacy of individuals.  Responsible Conduct of Research Principles of rigor, respect and responsibility  Responsibility: – This deals with how we communicate, listen to and inform students, colleagues and the wider public. – Encouraging, and participating in, debate about the issues that our research may raise for society. This calls for major focus on the aspirations and concerns of others. – We must never knowingly mislead, or allow others to be misled, about our research or about science and intellectual inquiry more generally. – Always practice honesty and accuracy when presenting and reviewing research data, theory or interpretation.  Responsible Conduct of Research The ethical principles of rigour, respect and responsibility are universal and applicable to all of our research. Even though ethical traditions are unique to each discipline, proper ethics are the common ground on which all disciplines meet. Some general lessons to be learned by all researchers are: – Ethics is about quality and research integrity, doing the best possible research. – Ethics is about how we conduct our research, from start to finish. – Ethics is about how we treat those involved in, or affected by, our research.  Responsible Conduct of Research Some general lessons to be learned by all researchers are: – Ethics is about communicating our research goals, procedures and findings as clearly as possible. – Ethics is about recognising that research is supported by, and a part of, the wider society. – Ethics is about being principled and accountable at all times. Ethics is not merely a matter of minimal compliance with codes and guidelines. Properly ethical research demands that ethical considerations should be in the forefront of our thinking and routinely inform all that we do.  Responsible Conduct of Research Critical thinking process – Liu (2014) referred to critical thinking as a higher order thinking skill, which tends to play a pivotal role in problem solving. – Gunn et al. (2014) further outlines the skills or processes involved in critical thinking: conceptualizing, applying, analysing synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication. – All of these actions are the basis for the scientific method, which then gives good evidence on which to base conclusions.  Responsible Conduct of Research Critical thinking process – The series of specific steps and actions involved in the scientific method, creates a way to think critically. – For instance, a hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. To be a scientific hypothesis, it has to be testable through experiment or observation. – Using and testing theory with hypotheses gives us valid evidence about a phenomenon. That evidence is then fuel for critical thinking about that phenomenon, which means we get closer and closer to a correct understanding of that phenomenon.  Responsible Conduct of Research Critical thinking process Need for empirical evidence Critical Quality of Source of thinking evidence information principles Open mind  Responsible Conduct of Research Critical thinking process – Useful link – https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/research- methods-critical-thinking-scientific-meth Thank You Q&A