Ethics in Science and Technology

CML 2205
 In Class Test

K.A.D.M.H.Kariyapperuma
ITT/2017/2018/039
0726

Department of Information Communication Technology

Faculty of Technology
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Introduction:

When conducting any research study, it is important to ensure that ethical principles are applied.
Ethical principles act as guidelines to help researchers to conduct their work in an honest, responsible,
and fair manner. In this essay, we will discuss the ethical principles that apply to research activities
and how we can apply these principles to any given research topic.
The ethical principles that apply to research activities include informed consent, confidentiality,
privacy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. These principles are explained in detail below:

Informed consent: Informed consent is a principle that requires researchers to obtain consent from the
participants before collecting any data. The participants must be informed about the purpose of the
research study, the risks and benefits involved, and their right to withdraw from the study at any time.
Informed consent ensures that participants are aware of what they are getting into and that their rights
are respected.
When conducting research on any topic, it is important to ensure that informed consent is obtained
from the participants. Researchers should provide information about the research study, including the
procedures, the risks, the benefits, and the rights of participants. The researcher should ensure that
participants fully understand the purpose of the research and that they are voluntarily participating in
the study.

For example, if conducting research on the impact of Covid-19 on student’s mental health, researchers
should obtain informed consent from the participants explaining the purpose of the research, the
risks/benefits associated, their right to withdraw, and the confidentiality of their information.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality is a principle that requires researchers to keep the information they
collect about participants private. This means that participants' identity or any other identifiable
information should not be disclosed to a third party without their consent. Confidentiality is important
to build trust between participants and researchers and to respect the participants’ privacy.
To apply the principle of confidentiality, researchers must ensure that all data collected is kept secure
and away from unauthorized personnel. This includes storing data on password-protected
computers/servers, or locked filing cabinets. Researchers must also ensure that any information they
use is substituted with pseudonyms that cannot be traced back to the participants.

For example, when conducting research on substance abuse among college students, the researcher
should ensure that the participants’ identity is kept confidential, i.e., avoid using the participants’
names or any other identifiable information.

Privacy: Privacy is a principle that refers to the right of an individual to control their personal
information. When conducting research, researchers must respect the privacy of their participants.
This implies that the participants have the right to decide what information about them can be
revealed to others and what information should remain private.
To maintain privacy, researchers must ensure that participants feel comfortable and free to share their
experiences without external interference. Researchers should also ensure that their study does not
interfere with participants’ homes, workplaces, or personal space.

For example, when conducting research on sexual harassment in the workplace, researchers should
respect the privacy of the participants by conducting the interviews in private areas and not disclosing
any identifying information about the participants.
Non-Maleficence: Non-maleficence refers to the principle that researchers must avoid causing harm
to participants physically or mentally. Researchers must ensure that participants are not exposed to
any form of harm, such as psychological distress, physical pain, or harm to their reputation.
To apply the principle of non-maleficence, researchers should ensure that the participants’ rights are
respected, and their safety is guaranteed. Researchers should also monitor the participants for any
signs of distress and ensure their wellbeing is taken care of.

For example, when conducting research on child sexual abuse, the researcher should ensure that the
participants are protected and not exposed to further harm, such as conducting interviews in a private
and secure environment.

Beneficence:
Beneficence is a principle that requires researchers to ensure that benefits outweigh risks. This
principle requires researchers to maximize benefits and minimize potential harm. Researchers should
aim to provide benefits to the participants and society as a whole.
To apply the principle of beneficence, researchers should ensure that their study has social relevance
and that it contributes to the betterment of society. In case potential harm is identified, the researcher
should take reasonable steps to minimize the harm.

For example, when conducting research on the effect of video games on youth, the researcher should
ensure that the study provides insights into the benefits of gaming and how parents can regulate
children’s gaming time.

Justice: Justice is a principle that requires fairness and equality in research. Researchers must ensure
that participants are recruited fairly and that they understand the purpose of the study. This principle
also requires equal distribution of the benefits and burdens of research.
To apply the principle of justice, researchers should ensure that participants are selected randomly or
using another fair method. Researchers must also ensure that the research study does not discriminate
or exploit any participants.

For example, when conducting research on the effects of online learning on students’ academic
performance, researchers should select participants randomly from different socio-economic
backgrounds to ensure that the findings are representative of the population.

The case presented highlights several violations of publication ethics. These violations are discussed
below in detail:
Falsification of data: The student has not completed his research work and has only collected data
from 82 participants out of the required 100. Despite this, he has performed statistical analysis on the
data and submitted it to two journals. This is a clear case of falsification of data as the student has
manipulated the data to fit his desired outcome.

Lack of informed consent: The student has not obtained informed consent from the participants in his
survey. Informed consent is a crucial aspect of research ethics and is necessary to ensure that
participants are aware of the purpose of the study, the risks and benefits involved, and their rights as
participants. Without informed consent, the student's research is unethical and invalid.

Plagiarism: The student has hired another author to write the article for him, which is a form of
plagiarism. Plagiarism involves using someone else's work or ideas without giving them proper credit.
The fact that the student has paid for the author's services does not negate the fact that he has used
someone else's work without proper attribution.

Duplicate submission: The student has submitted the same article to two different journals using
different topics. This is a violation of publication ethics as it constitutes duplicate submission.
Duplicate submission refers to submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same
time, which is not allowed as it undermines the peer review process and can lead to publication bias.

In conclusion, the student has violated several key aspects of publication ethics, including falsification
of data, lack of informed consent, plagiarism, and duplicate submission. These violations undermine
the integrity of the research process and compromise the credibility of academic publications. It is
essential that researchers adhere to strict ethical standards to maintain the trust of their peers and the
public in the scientific community.

In conclusion, the postgraduate student in this scenario has violated multiple aspects of publication
ethics. By falsifying data, failing to obtain informed consent, committing plagiarism, and engaging in
duplicate submission, the student has undermined the integrity of the research process and
compromised the credibility of academic publications.

Falsification of data is a serious offense that undermines the credibility of research. By manipulating
data to fit a desired outcome, the student has not only compromised the validity of their research but
also wasted time and resources that could have been better used to produce valid results.

Lack of informed consent is a violation of ethical standards that can have serious consequences for
research participants. Informed consent is necessary to ensure that participants understand the purpose
of the study, the risks and benefits involved, and their rights as participants. Without informed
consent, participants may be exposed to risks without understanding the potential consequences,
which is a breach of their autonomy and rights. Plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft that
undermines the integrity of academic publications. By hiring another author to write the article for
them, the student has taken credit for someone else's work and ideas, which is a clear violation of
ethical standards. Plagiarism is a serious offense that can have legal consequences and can damage the
reputation of the researcher and their institution.

Duplicate submission is a violation of publication ethics that can lead to publication bias and
undermines the peer review process. By submitting the same article to two journals using different
topics, the student has not only wasted time and resources but also undermined the peer review
process by introducing bias into the review process.

In conclusion, it is essential that researchers adhere to strict ethical standards to maintain the trust of
their peers and the public in the scientific community. Falsification of data, lack of informed consent,
plagiarism, and duplicate submission are serious offenses that can undermine the credibility of
research and academic publications. Researchers must ensure that they follow ethical standards at all
stages of the research process to produce valid, reliable, and trustworthy research that contributes to
the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields.
Introduction:
In the academic world, conducting research is seen as a vital process for scholars to make a significant
contribution to their field of study, and to obtain a degree. However, maintaining publication ethics is
also a crucial aspect of the research process as it ensures that the research outcome is reliable and
valid. Publishing research outcome in journals is considered as one of the most ethical ways of
disseminating research outcome since a journal provides a platform to reach a vast audience.
However, the researchers need to maintain high ethical standards while submitting their research
findings to these journals.

This paper examines an ethical violation in the research publication process wherein a postgraduate
student has not completed his research work and only used a questionnaire to collect data from 82
samples for his thesis. Additionally, he did not obtain consents for the survey. He then hired another
author to write the article for him, and despite not having complete research findings, submitted the
article to two different journals using different topics.

Ethical Violation:

The case at hand clearly shows that the postgraduate student has violated several ethical standards in
the research and publication process. The following section highlights these violations:

Incomplete Research Work: One of the essential ethical standards that researchers need to maintain is
the completion of the research work. In this case, the postgraduate student submitted an article for
publication despite not yet completing his research. This is a significant ethical violation since it
violates the basic principle of scientific research that requires the researcher to complete their work
and demonstrate its validity.

Consent Issues: Obtaining informed consent from study participants is also a fundamental ethical
consideration that must be taken into account when conducting research. The postgraduate student
failed to obtain consent from the participants of his survey. This is a severe ethical violation since
informed consent is a vital aspect of ensuring that participants understand the nature of the study,
including the possible risks involved, and have given their consent to participate.

Ghostwriting: Another ethical violation demonstrated in this case is the use of ghostwriting to produce
the article that was submitted to the two journals. Ghostwriting, which involves paying someone to
write an article and then publishing it as though it were written by the author, is a severe breach of
academic ethics. This practice undermines the integrity of research, the journal publishing process,
and the academic community as a whole.

Duplicate Submissions: Subsequent duplicate submissions to different journals without any

substantial improvement are also deemed unethical and are perceived as self-plagiarism. Although the
postgraduate student used different topics, the content and research findings have not been revised or
updated, leading to submitting the same research findings to multiple journals, which is considered an
ethical violation.
Conclusion:

The postgraduate student violated several ethical standards in the research and publication process.
The incomplete research work, failure to obtain consent from the participants, ghostwriting, and
duplicate publications without significant changes violate the integrity of academic research. It is
important for researchers to understand that maintaining high ethical standards is as essential as the
research process itself. The violation of publication ethics undermines the trust that the broader
academic community places on research, leading to negative consequences for both the researcher's
future career and the academic community as a whole. Therefore, following ethical principles is
necessary to produce scientific output that conforms to the highest ethical standards.