Research Ethics Education Research Articles

Social Validity of Research Ethics for All: Social-Behavioral Research Ethics Education for Community Research Partners with Developmental Disabilities

BackgroundTraining in research ethics supports community research partners with developmental disabilities to take on additional research responsibilities. We worked with an academic-community partnership to develop an accessible research ethics training tailored to the roles of community research partners with developmental disabilities that leads to certification: Research Ethics for All. ObjectiveWe evaluated the social validity of the educational activities and certification process. MethodsWe shared the training via a webinar and gathered feedback from attendees using polls (138 attendees; 92 respondents). In addition, four research teams composed of academic researchers and community research partners with developmental disabilities completed Research Ethics for All. Teams provided feedback on a series of surveys as they prepared to use the training, completed each of the 5 learning units, and after completing the training. We calculated descriptive statistics and used a pragmatic content analysis approach to analyze open-ended data. ResultsTeams were satisfied with the training and felt it supported learning. They endorsed the videos and learning activities but thought videos should be shorter. 68.5% of webinar attendees felt that Research Ethics for All covers essential information in social-behavioral research ethics. Several IRBs have approved the use of Research Ethics for All. ConclusionsResearch Ethics for All is an acceptable research ethics training that may support community research partners with developmental disabilities to take on important research responsibilities in social-behavioral research.

Research ethics education needs assessment in Serbian medical researchers

ABSTRACT The lack of formal education in research ethics is a significant issue for the ethical conduct of research in Serbia. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of researchers and ethics committee members in Serbia to evaluate their self-assessed competence and educational needs in research ethics. Results indicated that previous ethics education had a significant effect on respondents’ perception of their own competence in addressing issues like informed consent, authorship, and publishing. Respondents expressed a high motivation for further research ethics education. Moreover, the study revealed that researchers with different specializations and different research experience have different educational needs.

Is all that glitters gold? Exploring sustainability and business ethics education in ethics-friendly environments

Purpose This study aims to identify students’ perceptions of the importance and objectives of sustainability and business ethics education, considering contextual factors (ethics-friendly environments) and including the social desirability (SD) bias to strengthen data robustness and assess response truthfulness. Design/methodology/approach A survey was administered to 170 business students at an Icelandic university to measure their attitudes and perceptions toward sustainability and business ethics courses. Descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney tests, χ2 tests and multivariate regression were used for the analysis. Findings The results show no significant differences among participants, depending on individual and organizational factors. The authors did not find significant differences in gender, age or exposure to sustainability and business ethics courses concerning social desirability bias. Contextual solid factors can explain these results. Originality/value This study expands on previous research by examining students’ perceptions of sustainability and business ethics education in an “ethics-friendly environment” like Iceland, a new and fertile territory for business ethics education research. These elements are crucial for further research on students’ attitudes toward sustainability and business ethics and the role of this subject in university curricula.

Research ethics for all: Development of a social-behavioral research ethics education program for community research partners with developmental disabilities

BackgroundPeople with developmental disabilities make important contributions to research. However, inaccessible research ethics trainings present a barrier to them taking on some research roles. ObjectivesWe developed a social-behavioral research ethics training that leads to certification tailored to the accessibility needs and roles of community research partners with developmental disabilities. MethodsWe collaborated with diverse partners (people with developmental disabilities, a disability service provider, health researchers, human research participant protections experts) to develop the research ethics training. To identify potential training content, we conducted a rapid scoping review of ethical, legal, and social issues in social-behavioral research with adults with developmental disabilities and reviewed national research ethics curricula. Through discussions and a modified Delphi process, we worked with partners to identify content to teach; partners also provided guidance on accessibility. ResultsThe training and rapid scoping reviews and input from partners resulted in 93 potential educational content elements to include. After completing the modified Delphi process, partners recommended inclusion of 83 of these content elements in the educational training and provided input on depth and approach to teaching this content. Research Ethics for All is a freely available training that includes 5 units, delivered via didactic and active learning, and assessment activities to verify understanding. Research Ethics for All should be facilitated by an experienced researcher. ConclusionsResearch Ethics for All includes foundational social-behavioral research ethics content designed to support community research partners with developmental disabilities to take on new research responsibilities.

Perception of Ph.D. Students on Online Research Ethics Education and Research Irregularities : Focusing on Comparison by Gender, Grade, Nationality, and Experience in Online Research Ethics Education

Perception of Ph.D. Students on Online Research Ethics Education and Research Irregularities : Focusing on Comparison by Gender, Grade, Nationality, and Experience in Online Research Ethics Education

Generative AI, Research Ethics, and Higher Education Research: Insights from a Scientometric Analysis

In the digital age, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and higher education (HE) poses novel ethical considerations, necessitating a comprehensive exploration of this multifaceted relationship. This study aims to quantify and characterize the current research trends and critically assess the discourse on ethical AI applications within HE. Employing a mixed-methods design, we integrated quantitative data from the Web of Science, Scopus, and the Lens databases with qualitative insights from selected studies to perform scientometric and content analyses, yielding a nuanced landscape of AI utilization in HE. Our results identified vital research areas through citation bursts, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic clusters. We provided a conceptual model for ethical AI integration in HE, encapsulating dichotomous perspectives on AI’s role in education. Three thematic clusters were identified: ethical frameworks and policy development, academic integrity and content creation, and student interaction with AI. The study concludes that, while AI offers substantial benefits for educational advancement, it also brings challenges that necessitate vigilant governance to uphold academic integrity and ethical standards. The implications extend to policymakers, educators, and AI developers, highlighting the need for ethical guidelines, AI literacy, and human-centered AI tools.

Research Ethics in Training Curricula of Cameroon Health Training Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction The quality of protection for research participants in Africa is still marked by the lack of trained actors in this area. The study was conducted to assess the availability of health research ethics in the curricula of health-related sciences training institutions in Cameroon. Methods The study involved a cross-sectional analysis to describe the training curricula on research ethics in health training institutions in Cameroon. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that was administered face to face to the heads of institutions in late 2020. Results Twenty-one health training institutions were identified, and 18 (85.71%) participated. Health research ethics courses were present in the curricula of 16 (88.88%) of the institutions. Lectures were either a standalone module or part of a module in 14 (77.78%) institutions. The three first topics covered in the courses were the fundamental principles of ethics, the role of the ethics committee in the protection of research participants, and respect for research participants. A total of 14 (77.78%) institutions declared ethical clearance mandatory before the implementation of students' thesis protocols. Eight (50.00%) training institutions declared having at least one qualified lecturer to deliver training in research ethics evaluation. The organization of the training of lecturers in delivering lectures on research ethics was declared to be the main assistance needed. Conclusions The delivery of research ethics education in Cameroon's healthcare institutions is still limited by the fact that it does not cover all eligible populations, is not standardized, and does not yet promote the practice of requiring all student protocols to undergo preethical review prior to implementation. These points should be taken into account by the authorities in charge.

Public health and research ethics education: the experience of developing a new cadre of bioethicists at a Ugandan institution

Research ethics education is critical to developing a culture of responsible conduct of research. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have a high burden of infectious diseases like HIV and malaria; some, like Uganda, have recurring outbreaks. Coupled with the increase in non-communicable diseases, researchers have access to large populations to test new medications and vaccines. The need to develop multi-level capacity in research ethics in Uganda is still huge, being compounded by the high burden of disease and challenging public health issues. Only a few institutions in the SSA offer graduate training in research ethics, implying that the proposed ideal of each high-volume research ethics committee having at least one member with in-depth training in ethics is far from reality. Finding best practices for comparable situations and training requirements is challenging because there is currently no “gold standard” for teaching research ethics and little published information on curriculum and implementation strategies. The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of research ethics (RE) education as a track in an existing 2-year Master of Public Health (MPH) to provide training for developing specific applied learning skills to address contemporary and emerging needs for biomedical and public health research in a highly disease-burdened country. We describe our five-year experience in successful implementation of the MPH-RE program by the Mbarara University Research Ethics Education Program at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in southwestern Uganda. We used curriculum materials, applications to the program, post-training and external evaluations, and annual reports for this work. This model can be adapted and used elsewhere in developing countries with similar contexts. Establishing an interface between public health and research ethics requires integration of the two early in the delivery of the MPH-RE program to prevent a disconnect in knowledge between research methods provided by the MPH component of the MPH-RE program and for research in ethics that MPH-RE students are expected to perform for their dissertation. Promoting bioethics education, which is multi-disciplinary, in institutions where it is still “foreign” is challenging and necessitates supportive leadership at all institutional levels.

Designing for Deep Learning in Research Ethics Education in advance

Designing for Deep Learning in Research Ethics Education in advance

Assessment of Research Ethics Knowledge of Pediatricians.

Objectives. To assess knowledge of ethics knowledge among child healthcare professionals. Methods. We translated the Test of Residents' Ethics Knowledge for Pediatrics (TREK-P) in Azeri and administered it to: (i) third-year medical students (n = 21), (ii) pediatrics residents (n = 24), (iii) practicing pediatricians (n = 21), and (iv) fellows (n = 9) who participated in a Fogarty International Center/National Institute of Health (Fogarty/NIH) R25 research ethics education program. The difference in the TREK-P score between the groups and the correlation between the TREK-P score and other factors were evaluated. Results. The fellows scored significantly higher than the other groups (P = .006). There was no significant difference between the other 3 groups. Within a joined group of pediatricians and fellows, previous training on ethics was the only factor that correlated with the higher TREK-P scores (P < .05). Conclusions. The higher scores in fellows support the effectiveness of postgraduate Fogarty/NIH training programs in research ethics.

Development and validation of a tool to assess researchers’ knowledge of human subjects’ rights and their attitudes toward research ethics education in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundResearchers must adhere to ethical and scientific standards in their research involving human subjects; therefore, their knowledge of human subjects’ rights is essential. A tool to measure the extent of this knowledge is necessary to ensure that studies with participants are conducted ethically and to enhance research integrity. Currently, no validated instrument is available for such an assessment. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to develop a reliable and valid instrument to assess researchers’ knowledge of human subjects’ rights in clinical settings, as well as a reliable and valid measure of their attitudes toward clinical research ethics education in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThe current study involves the development of a questionnaire about the rights of human subjects in research and the researchers’ attitudes toward research ethics education. The content was developed based on an extensive review of research ethics guidelines. A panel of experts tested the questionnaire for face validity (n = 5) and content validity (n = 8). The reliability of the questionnaire was established by a split-half reliability coefficient and item analysis among a sample (n = 301) of clinical researchers.ResultsFace validity demonstrated that the questionnaire was quick to complete and easy to answer. The global content validity indices (S-CVIs) were greater than 0.78 for all questionnaire sections; the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.755 for knowledge items; Cronbach’s alpha was 0.77 for researchers’ attitudes, showing good internal consistency. The difficulty index ranged from 12.0% to 98.7% for all knowledge items. Most questions were at an acceptable level of reliability and discrimination criteria. The final version of the questionnaire contained 89 items, distributed as 15 questions on demographic and professional characteristics, 64 questions items on knowledge, and 10 items on attitudes.ConclusionsThe questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to assess biomedical researchers’ knowledge of human subjects’ rights and their attitudes toward research ethics education. This instrument could help address the gap in researchers’ knowledge of the rights and facilitate the development of educational intervention programs to set appropriate learning objectives.

On the application of AI in ethical decision-making in research ethics and ethics education

Abstract Background ChatGPT is tested everyday by millions of users with different use cases. Exploring the gap between theoretical and practical ethical problems and how it is affected by the ongoing development of ChatGPT is one of these cases. The aim of this report is to present the results of testing ChatGPT in ethical decision-making in research ethics and its applicability in ethics education. Methodology The tests were conducted between February and April 2023 with 3 updates of ChatGPT in this period. GPTZero AI detector was used to test whether the AI generated text can be detected as not written by human. For ethical decision-making a 4-step model developed in Medical University - Pleven was applied to the Tuskegee experiment case. Results Two tests were conducted, in February and in April. In both cases ChatGPT was given a simple task to analyse the Tuskegee experiment by applying a methodology for case analysis. In February it used a 6-step method and in April it used a 4-step approach. In both cases ChatGPT managed to identify ethical problems regarding informed consent, human rights, harms. With more detailed instructions ChatGPT managed to follow them to some degree. It identified the issue of vulnerability and the relevance of Nuremberg code and Declaration of Helsinki but it couldn’t interpret them without additional plugin. Given a simple instruction ChatGPT produced a content that was detected by GPTZero as written by AI. By instructing ChatGPT for creating content with high degree of burstiness and perplexity and more detailed instructions about the methodology it produced a content of which two-thirds were detected as written by AI. Conclusions Given the task ChatGPT can identify ethical issues at basic level. Even with more detailed instructions it can’t go into detailed ethical reasoning. It wouldn’t be sufficient for professional ethical decision-making. It could help in ethics education but with certain limitations. Key messages • ChatGPT is still not able to go into detailed ethical reasoning and researchers should be careful if they plan to use it in their scientific work. • Educators should always check whether the content of their students’ work is developed by AI and have ethical guidelines for using AI in education.

장애인의 리빙랩 활동 참여를 통한 학습경험에 관한 사례연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore the learning experiences of adults with disabilities through their participation in living lab activities.&#x0D; Methods The site that this study paid attention to is a welfare center for the disabled in Daejeon Metropolitan City, which conducted the citizen-participating social problem-solving living lab project in 2020. The study was con-ducted over a year from March 2020 to February 2021, with a total of 14 participants, including 2 people with phys-ical disabilities, 3 people with developmental disabilities, 5 social workers, 2 parents with disabilities, and 2 assis-tants with disabilities. Based on the participants' experiences, the qualitative case study method was based on an in-depth understanding of the research topic. The retrospective records of participants in the collected Living Lab reports and results reports were referenced, and line-by-line analysis was conducted by repeatedly reading individual in-depth interview data for each person with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, and social workers. Various efforts were made to comply with research ethics, such as completing research ethics educa-tion, preparing prior consent forms for research participants, reviewing research results, and discussing experts.&#x0D; Results As a result of the analysis, the learning experience that occurred in the process of the disabled becoming the main body and solving their problems on their own through living lab activities was found, which contributed to finding meaning and reward, improving self-directedness, and improving efficacy.&#x0D; Conclusions According to the results of these studies, it was found that people with disabilities, such as Living Lab activities, need to make continuous efforts to speak out and expand opportunities to participate in social activities. The study's findings show that learning experiences through living lab activities contribute to the ac-quisition of subjectivity and initiative of the disabled, and that the participation of the disabled in living lab activities needs to be actively utilized in a new way of lifelong education. Based on this, discussions and follow-up studies were proposed.

Awareness of Medical Professionals Regarding Research Ethics in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Survey to Assess Training Needs.

Ethics is an essential component of human research, and knowledge and awareness of ethical guidelines are required to conduct research involving human subjects and ensure the participants' safety. To investigate medical professionals' and researchers' knowledge of national and international research ethics guidelines, key principles in human research projects, ethical issues in different types of research, the importance of informed consent, and institutional review boards. A cross-sectional study with 251 participants, including physicians, nurses, and researchers from three different research centers and hospitals in Riyadh city, was carried out using an electronic self-structured questionnaire. The sample size was estimated using OpenEpi, Version 3. The questionnaire contained six different sets of questions to analyze knowledge about research ethics and guidelines. The results were analyzed using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). About 53.78% of the participants had received research ethics education, out of which 78.51% of the participants expressed the need for more training in research ethics education. The Belmont Report showed a high level of unawareness among nurses (88.3%), physicians (73.8%), and researchers (55.32%). Nurses had a high level of positive attitude about all the key principles of human research. The highest level of awareness of ethical issues in clinical trials and interventional studies was found among researchers (54%), and the lowest level of awareness was exhibited by nurses (19.32%). Nurses (74.34%) and physicians (62.79%) had the lowest positive attitudes about obtaining children's assent in pediatric research. Physicians and researchers had a higher awareness of the IRB than nurses. Researchers were well-versed in research ethics, regulatory guidelines, and ethical issues in various types of research, whereas nurses were enthusiastic about key principles in human research and the importance of informed consent. This study shows that a very low percentage of nurses have received research ethics education and emphasizes the critical importance of including research ethics education in nursing curricula, as the involvement of nurses in research is inevitable. This study also shows the lack of knowledge among nurses, researchers, and doctors about various international guidelines. It emphasizes the importance of adding regulatory guidelines to the curriculum and teaching them effectively to students. Also, periodic workshops should be conducted to enhance the practical knowledge of the professionals regarding the guidelines and guide them in overcoming the practical difficulties they encounter during their practice.

Using the values exchange to teach research ethics.

Using the values exchange to teach research ethics.

과학영재 학생과 일반 고등학생의 과학 논문 특징 비교

Research is an effective way for high school students to develop critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and communication skills. However, students often need help writing papers and need systematic training in writing papers. For this purpose, it is necessary first to understand the characteristics of students’ papers. Therefore, this study analyzed the science papers written by science-gifted students in science high schools, gifted schools, and general high school students in science core schools by analyzing each step of the science paper structure to compare their features and errors. The analysis utilized a self-developed step-by-step checklist of science paper structure for 17 science papers of gifted students and 40 science papers for general high school students. The results of the study were as follows. First, both groups lacked structure and volume in the abstract and limitations of the study in the conclusion and suggestion section. The general high school students’ deficiencies included irrelevant theories in the theoretical background, inaccurate data visualization in the results and discussion, missing citations, and formal reference errors. Second, students’ errors in their science papers varied across the stages of the science paper structure. From the above results, both groups commonly offer paper writing education regarding the abstract, conclusion, and recommendation stages. In contrast, other stages of paper structure and research ethics education are more necessary for general high school students. We hope paper writing education related to scientific research activities will be systematized.

Examining Chinese social sciences graduate students’ understanding of research ethics: implications for their research ethics education

Using the research ethics scale (Huang et al., 2021) and follow-up interviews, this study examined Chinese social sciences graduate students’ understanding of research ethics of empirical studies involving human subjects. The participants included 463 Chinese graduate students majoring in teacher education, English education, management, and economics. The quantitative findings suggested that these graduate students had a fairly good understanding of researchers’ ethical responsibilities and developed general human subjects’ ethical awareness; furthermore, there existed significant research experience and gender-by-research experience interaction effects on their understanding of researchers’ ethical responsibilities and human subjects’ ethical awareness, respectively. The qualitative results indicated that the participants had realized the importance of ethics reviews for social sciences research including human subjects; and they identified best ways to promote research ethics education for social sciences graduate students in Chinese higher education. Implications for Chinese university leaders, program developers, and research methods professors are discussed.

Knowledge and attitudes of Chinese medical postgraduates toward research ethics and research ethics committees: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundResearch ethics provides the ethical standards for conducting sound and safe research. The field of medical research in China is rapidly growing and facing various ethical challenges. However, in China, little empirical research has been conducted on the knowledge and attitudes of medical postgraduates toward research ethics and RECs. It is critical for medical postgraduates to develop a proper knowledge of research ethics at the beginning of their careers. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical postgraduates toward research ethics and RECs.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2021 at a medical school and two affiliated hospitals in south-central China. The instrument of the study was an online survey that was distributed via WeChat.ResultsWe found that only 46.7% were familiar with the ethical guidelines for research with human subjects. In addition, 63.2% of participants were familiar with the RECs that reviewed their research, and 90.7% perceived RECs as helpful. However, only 36.8% were fully aware of the functions of RECs. In the meantime, 30.7% believed that review by an REC would delay research and make it more difficult for researchers. Furthermore, most participants (94.9%) believed that a course on research ethics should be mandatory for medical postgraduates. Finally, 27.4% of the respondents considered the fabrication of some data or results to be acceptable.ConclusionThis paper serves to suggest that research ethics education should be prioritized in medical ethics curriculum, and course syllabi or teaching methods should be revised to provide medical postgraduates with a deeper understanding of the principles, regulations, and specifics of research ethics. We also recommend that RECs provide diverse approaches in their review procedure to facilitate the understanding of medical postgraduates of the functions and processes of RECs and to enhance their awareness of research integrity.

Establishment of a collaborative research ethics training program to prepare the next generation of ethics researchers in Mali

Background: Despite an increase in health research conducted in Africa, there are still inadequate human resources with research ethics training and lack of local long-term training opportunities in research ethics. A research ethics training program named United States-Mali Research Ethics Training Program (US-Mali RETP) was established through a partnership between the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH), USA and University of Sciences, Techniques & Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), to address the critical need for improved bioethics training, leadership, and policy in Mali. Methods: The aims of the capacity building programme are achieved by leveraging US and Africa-based expertise to strengthen research ethics education and capacity through: (1) intensive faculty development to design ethics training curricula; (2) development of a research ethics specialization within the existing Masters of Public Health program (MPH); and (3) establishing professional development courses through short-term training workshops and webinars to address research and professional needs in ethics. Results: The program will strengthen USTTB’s capacity of research ethics by training at least 15 MPH students over 5 years to prepare the next generation of ethics researchers. During the first two years of the program, a new ethics training curricula was developed, two cohorts of Master’s students were enrolled, and a series of webinars and workshops were conducted with participation of Malian and international researchers. Conclusions: US-Mali RETP will promote a sustainable bioethics enterprise at USTTB, and enable dissemination of research ethics training to increase health research capacity in Mali.

인간대상연구를 수행하는 초보 연구자의 연구진실성 증진을 위한 고찰

Research ethics is a desirable way of conducting responsible research, which means maintaining the integrity and complying with ethical norms in a particular field of research. Research integrity means keeping the values and standards required by researchers in the research process. Despite educational institutions' efforts to improve research ethics, the judgment of research cheating is on the rise. In addition, there were unclear regulations related to self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and the scope of research ethics. If you are a researcher of human research, planning and conducting ethical research is the first step for research integrity. Researchers need to understand protecting research subjects conducting research, and educational institutions should review and improve the current curriculum to provide research ethics education more effectively. Before strengthening legal sanctions on research cheating centered on results, the government should seek solutions through fundamental cause analysis to prevent researchers from committing research cheating. Given the current status of research ethics educational institutions and the progress of policies so far, we hope that if everyone tries at the individual, educational institution, and government levels, we will move in a more positive direction.