Ethical Issues in Social Science Research Employing Big Data (Papers: Mohammad Hosseini, et al | June 2022)
Abstract This paper analyzes the ethics of social science research (SSR) employing big data. We begin by highlighting the research
Abstract This paper analyzes the ethics of social science research (SSR) employing big data. We begin by highlighting the research
This piece is a useful reference for US clinical trials sponsors. Many jurisdictions (including Australia) have similar expectations of sponsors in those countries. Some, but by no means all, research institutions serve both as trial sites and trial sponsors. Even if your institution is not a sponsor, these guidelines should inform your approach to the responsible conduct of trials at your site.
Another of Don Mayne’s takes on how the general public might interpret another common research term to describe a group often used in trials in research. Researchers should make the effort to explain such terms. It is not sufficient to wait for a potential participant to ask because they may be embarrassed to admit that they don’t know.
Ubuntu is an African tradition of thought whose ethical orientation is captured in the well-known aphorism “I am, because we
Another image from the set of Don Mayne cartoons about common clinical research terms and what the general public might imagine them to mean.
We have written recently about the real damage been done to the academic record, public trust and safety by dodgy theories and crackpot treatments that appear in questionable publishers. As discussed in this Times Higher Education piece, one way to tackle this problem would be to lift the veil on peer review. This will be a challenging change, but it could stop the spread of misinformation before it starts. We have included links to eight related items.
The practice of ‘ethics dumping’ and ‘helicopter research’ is fundamentally wrong and must not be tolerated. Researchers must not be permitted to relocate projects from an affluent and well-regulated country to a poorer one without national research ethics standards. This must not be accepted by institutions, funding bodies and learned societies. The solution adopted by the National Statement in Australia is that if an Australian researcher conducts work overseas then the local ethical standards apply AND the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research applies. We believe this is a useful approach. We have included links to six related items.
This horrifying case from Europe highlights the danger if institutions assume that their research superstars (who bring in the big bucks and have a strong media profile) shouldn’t be shackled by governance and monitoring processes. There are some who may feel Paolo Macchiarini got off lightly for the death, suffering and anguish his experimental surgery caused. But at least we can take some solace in the fact there have been legal consequences for his unethical acts. We have included links to 13 related items.