RESEARCH ETHICS

DEFINITION

• ETHICS-Greek word: ethos=custom or convention, or the spirit of

community
• Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting
of an activity: Oxford dictionary (2014)
• The branch of philosophy that deals with morality. Ethics is
concerned with distinguishing between good and evil in the world,
between right and wrong human actions, and between virtuous
and non virtuous characteristics of people-The American Dictionary
of Cultural Literacy (2005)
ETHICS IN RESEARCH

Definition
“Research ethics” refers to the moral principles that govern how
researchers should carry out their work.
Objectives of Research Ethics

• To protect human participants

• To ensure that research is conducted in a way
that serves interests of individuals, groups
and/or society as a whole.
• To examine specific research activities and
projects for their ethical soundness, protection
of confidentiality and the process of informed
consent.
•.

Issues related to Ethical concern

• you must accept the responsibility to
behave ethically toward those who will
be affected by your research
• ethics is the study of proper action
• research ethics concerns the
Buy it
responsibility of researchers to be It has its Pays
honest and respectful to all individuals disadvantages
well

who may be affected by their research

studies or their reports of the studies’
results
 Ethics
Ethics: principles for guiding decision making and
reconciling conflicting values
People may disagree on ‘ethics’ because it is based – on
people's personal value systems
What one person considers to be good or right – may be
considered bad or wrong by another person
Why is Research Ethics Important?

• It is a reflection of respect for those who ‘take part’ in research

• It ensures no unreasonable, unsafe or thoughtless demands are made
by researchers
• It ensures sufficient knowledge is shared by all concerned
• It imposes a common standard in all the above respects
Why is Research Ethics Important

• It has become the norm as an expectation for research activity

• *…. a professional requirement for practitioners in some disciplines
e.g. psychology
• *… a requirement for access to participants in others e.g. health
• *… and a requirement to comply with external resources to obtain
funding e.g. ESRC
MORAL PRINCIPLES OF ACTION
• The principle of Beneficience
• The principle of Nonmaleficience
• The principle of Utility
• The principle of Autonomy
The principle of Beneficience

• We should act in ways that promote the welfare of other people.

• The duty to benefit others
• -The duty to maximize net benefits
• -Produce benefits for subjects themselves, other individuals
• -Produce benefits for society as a whole and for the advancement of
knowledge (usually the primary benefit)
The principle of Nonmaleficience
• We ought to act in ways that do not cause needless harm or injury to
others.
• No unnecessary risk of harm
• Participation must be essential to achieving scientifically and
societally important aims that cannot be realized without the
participation of human subjects
• Minimizing harm requires smallest number of human subjects that
will ensure valid data
The principle of Utility

• We should act in such a way as to bring about the greatest benefit

and the least harm.
The principle of Autonomy

• Rational individuals should be permitted to be self-determining.

• Paternalism
• ETHICAL PRINCIPLES ACORDING TO Belmont Report
• The Belmont Report identified three principles essential to the ethical
conduct of research with humans:
• Respect for persons
• Beneficence
• Justice
INFORMED CONSENT
• Informed consent requires that patients or subjects give permission
for treatment or testing, and that they be given adequate information
in order to make educated decisions about undergoing the treatment
or test.
• 4 components
• i- disclosure
• ii- comprehensions
• iii- voluntariness
• iv- competence
• Institute of Medicine’s Committee on assessing the system for
protecting Human Research Participants recommended in 2001
• “The informed consent process should be of an ongoing process……”
According to the APA, Informed Consent should include

• *Description of the nature of the research

• *Statement that the research is voluntary and participants can
withdraw at any time
• *Identification of Risks and Benefits
• *Description of how confidentiality will be protected
• *Description of compensation
• *Description of what info researchers will share with participants
• *Identification of who is responsible for research with contact
information
 Islamabad College of Physiotherapy
Consent Form

Title of Study: Cross culture adaptation, reliability, and validity of Urdu version of Quebec Back Pain
Disability Scale.
Investigators:
Description of study: You are invited to participate in a research study being conducted by above mentioned
investigators. The purpose of this study is to translate and culturally adopt QBPDS to Urdu and to evaluate the
reliability and validity of Urdu version of QBPDS -Urdu. Your participation will involve of completing few
questionnaires. On the first day of study, maximum half an hour of your time will be required. During this
session, the researcher will answer any question you may have and if you are willing to take part, you will
then be asked to complete 3-4 questionnaires. After that you will be provided with the required treatment. On
the following visits maximum, 30 - 40 minutes of your time will be required for the treatment purposes only.
After three to four weeks, on the day of last treatment session you will be asked to complete few
questionnaires again.
Potential benefits: QBPDS was originally developed in English language. As the native language of the
people of Pakistan is Urdu, QBPDS-Urdu will help to provide better understanding of the questionnaire to
Urdu speaking people.
Risks and discomforts
There are no known risks associated with this research.
Protection of confidentiality
We will do everything we can to protect your privacy. All information that is collected about you during the course of
the research will be kept strictly confidential. Your personal information which might identify you will be removed in
data entry and analysis. Your identity will not be revealed in any publication resulting from this study.
Voluntary participation
Your participation in this research study is voluntary. You may choose not to participate, and you may withdraw your
consent to participate at any time. You will not be penalized in any way should you decide not to participate or to
withdraw from this study.
Contact information
If you have any question or concern about this study or if any problem arises, please contact;______________,
Islamabad College of Physiotherapy, Margalla Institute of Health Sciences, Quaid-e-Azam Avenue, Gulrez III,
Rawalpindi (Tel: 051-5509817 at, Ext: 827). If you have any question or concern about your rights as a research
participant, please contact the Ethical Review committee of the College.
Consent
I have read this consent form and have been given the opportunity to ask questions. I give my consent to
participate in this study.
Participants signature: _______________________________ Date: __________________
RESEARCH CODE OF ETHICS
• Numberg code developed in 1949 as a reaction to Nazi atrocities.
• World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki developed in
1964.
• U.S. Department of Health & human services
RESEARCH RISK
• Physical Risk
• Psychological risk
• Social risk
• Economic risk
ultimate determinant rests
with researcher’s value
system and moral code