From compliance to conversation: New guidelines push for ethical reflection in research reporting

· ScienceDaily
Source:University of Technology Sydney
Summary:A new study highlights key challenges and tensions in research ethics, particularly in light of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and calls for the adoption of new research ethics policies.

A new study highlights key challenges and tensions in research ethics, particularly in light of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and calls for the adoption of new research ethics policies.

"Research ethics isn't just about how we treat human and animal subjects, or ensuring data accuracy — it also includes considering the wider impact that research might have on society," said lead author Associate Professor Simon Knight from the University of Technology Sydney.

"For example, advances in facial recognition technology raise ethical concerns around its possible use in surveillance or applications in the military or in other products, as well as discrimination due to biases in the technology," he said.

The study, "Emerging technologies and research ethics: Developing editorial policy using a scoping review and reference panel," was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE.

It was written by a team of international researchers with experience as editors-in-chief of prestigious educational technology journals, including the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, British Journal of Educational Technology and Journal of Learning Analytics.

Drawing on existing research ethics publication policies, the researchers developed new policies for the expression of research ethics in scholarly articles across disciplines, with the aim of fostering learning and discussion of ethical issues.

"Academic journal articles are a primary means of communication with other researchers, policymakers, practitioners and the public. For people to understand the values operating in our research, we need to communicate them," said Associate Professor Knight.

A failure to address ethical issues that arise from academic research can lead to diminished public trust in science, decreased funding for research, and a reluctance to adopt new technologies or medical treatments.

"These policy templates and guidelines are provided for authors, reviewers and editors to adapt or adopt into their own communities. They are intended to support learning and sharing of knowledge within and across research communities and stakeholders."

The study included a scoping review of current innovation in publication policy for research ethics, and how such policies are taken up by journals and authors. Innovative policies include adding new guidance for reviewers, and introducing a new role of 'ethics reviewer'.

The review suggests around half of all academic journals lack explicit ethics reporting requirements, and even for those with clear policies, it is often a compliance driven 'box-ticking exercise' rather than a genuine examination of ethical concerns.

"We need to shift from compliance-based ethics to fostering ethical norms and practices, and do this without introducing barriers to publication or increasing overheads. We also need to address both current and future research ethics challenges," said Associate Professor Knight.

Academic journals and editors play a crucial role in the promotion of ethical practices, and in maintaining the integrity of research. By encouraging the consideration of ethical issues, they contribute to the advancement of knowledge that is both trustworthy and socially responsible.

Related Terms

BioethicsBioethics is the study of typically controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. It is also moral discernment as it relates to medical policy, practice, and research. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy. It also includes the study of the more commonplace questions of values ("the ethics of the ordinary") which arise in primary care and other branches of medicine. The field of bioethics has addressed a broad swathe of human inquiry, ranging from debates over the boundaries of life (e.g. abortion, euthanasia), surrogacy, the allocation of scarce health care resources (e.g. organ donation, health care rationing) to the right to refuse medical care for religious or cultural reasons. Bioethicists often disagree among themselves over the precise limits of their discipline, debating whether the field should concern itself with the ethical evaluation of all questions…TechnologyTechnology is a broad term dealing with the use and knowledge of humanity's tools and crafts.JusticeJustice is a concept of moral rightness based ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, equity and fairness, as well as the administration of the law, taking into account the inalienable and inborn rights of all human beings and citizens, the right of all people and individuals to equal protection before the law of their civil rights, without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, wealth, or other characteristics, and is further regarded as being inclusive of social justice.Air pollutionAir pollution is a broad term applied to any chemical, physical (particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.Scientific misconductScientific misconduct is the violation of the standard codes of scholarly conduct and ethical behavior in professional scientific research.ReligionReligion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.