Justice
Our Societies, Journals, and the Narrative of Accessibility and Equity in Open Research – Scholarly Kitchen (Haseeb Irfanullah | December 2021)
This interesting Scholarly Kitchen piece looks at our reflection on equity and the democratisation potential of open access publishing in research needs to include recognising that APC fees effectively lock researchers from the Global South and from poorer (and perhaps middle income) countries from being able to publish their work. It is another discussion that points to fact that our approach to open access in publishing needs to be genuinely inclusive and equitable. Shutting out countries that cannot afford APC fees is just as bad as locking out countries that cannot afford journal subscription fees.
Equity must be baked into randomized controlled trials – Nature (Editorial | June 2022)
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how priority research can transform lives and treatments. Helicopter research and ethics dumping involves a richer country testing new treatments in a poorer country with fewer ethical standards and regulations. Where it is effectively easier and cheaper to expose the local people to experimental treatments than it would be to do work in their own country. Even worse, the final cost of the treatment might make it unlikely that people in the test country will be able to access the treatment once it is available as a commercial medicine. Such practice is disgusting and should not be tolerated. Funding bodies, journals, learned societies and institutions can play a key role in urging researchers away from such practice.
Ubuntu – Philosopher’s Zone (July 2022)
Ubuntu is an African tradition of thought whose ethical orientation is captured in the well-known aphorism “I am, because we
(Sweden) Scientists fear further scandals as Macchiarini convicted – Times Higher Education (Ben Upton | June 2022)
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.
(New Zealand) Indigenous Research Ethics – Journeys in Decolonisation (Dr Juan Tauri & Dr Antje Deckert | February 2021)
In our second December webinar, we welcome back Dr Juan Tauri along with Dr Antje Deckert, both Senior Lecturers at
(Australia) How I found a way to balance research integrity with people’s welfare – Nature (Laura McCosker | May 2022)
The research integrity discussed in this item is the integrity of a project’s design and its ability to achieve its stated goals. For research with vulnerable people in difficult circumstances, it can be incredibly challenging to treat participants with respect, dignity and care. For Laura, her research with homeless Australians in the midst of a terrifying pandemic could have been impossible. This Nature piece discusses how she was able to juggle the integrity of the research while at the same time treating her participants with the greatest of respect.
(US) Confronting human rights abuses in the scientific literature – C&EN (David W. Christianson | April 2022)
To preserve the integrity of science and human research ethics arrangements it is important that journal editorial processes and human research ethics processes are mindful of potential human rights abuses. Such can come up anywhere but in the last few years, we have seen a run of them from China.
Related Links
Compiled here are links, downloads and other resources relating to research integrity and human research ethics. more…
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