Faith Integration Preventing Research Misconduct through Faith Integration

The process of conducting research is typically aimed at exploring a scientific postulate, confirming an emergent theory or disproving a faulty hypothesis. By and large, the purpose of research is to further human understanding and improve our abilities in areas such as the sciences, sociology and medicine. Yet, there are distinct challenges to ensuring that this research is conducted with a clear code of ethics in mind. This is especially true when working with human participants, who place themselves at the mercy and honesty of researchers. As this discussion will show, however, research misconduct is a genuine concern and can have a direct and negative impact on research participants. This is why faith integration has the potential to be such a valuable strategy in countering the possibility of research misconduct. As the discussion here will show, certain dimensions of the Scriptures align directly with the terms of ethics for engaging in a scientific research endeavor.

Perhaps the most prominent and troubling instance of research misconduct would be the Tuskegee Experiments, in which African-American men were invited to participate in a study on the effects of syphilis. The men were given a placebo but were never told they had syphilis. This research endeavor continued even as evidence emerged elsewhere that the condition could be treated with penicillin. In essence, the men were deprived of treatment for the purposes of research observation. Many were allowed...

Accordingly, John 13 says that "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) It is clear that this guiding premise did not enter into the Tuskegee experiments. Certainly, the racial imbalances in the United States allowed researcher to perceive their subjects as somehow less than human. Using John 13 and specifically the verses cited here, we can see that this behavior was decidedly unchristian.
Moreover, it would have the impact of further exiling this demographic from the fair, equal and faith-driven treatment they deserved. To the point, the devastation of the Tuskegee Experiments would extend beyond the disturbing mistreatment rendered by researchers. It would also have a stifling impact on the willingness of African-Americans to involve themselves in research endeavors that might truly yield health benefits. According to the article by Katz et al., "there is a widespread belief that the 'legacy' of this unethical study is that the Black community ahs a greater reluctance to participate in clinical research studies because of the abuses foisted on the participants in that study." (Katz et al., p. 1137)

The one positive offshoot of this horrific set of experiments is…