Ethical Standards in Academic and Scientific Research

Introduction

Research has become a central part of the modern educational system. In all fields of study, research data and papers are used to test students' knowledge and assess their ability to handle specific scenarios presented to them. These scenarios can take various forms, including case studies and research-based papers. To complete their research papers, students are permitted to access information from a variety of external resources such as books, journal articles, and news publications.

All external data selected for inclusion in a research paper cannot be considered the sole work of the student writing it. Every author and rights-holder of the external works incorporated into a research paper must be given proper recognition. This recognition is provided through citations and references included within the paper. Such citations assure the reader that the preparer of the research paper has not claimed sole responsibility for all the information presented, but has drawn on the works of other authors to support the paper's purpose.

Citing sources ensures that the author does not take undue credit for external information. In this way, credit is properly attributed to the original publisher, while the information continues to be used in subsequent research papers by different authors — all while maintaining the ethical standards that govern research preparation.

An ethical approach can be understood as one in which a person follows the norms of conduct that distinguish acceptable behavior from unacceptable behavior within a given culture, society, or professional field. These behavioral standards vary from person to person, as individuals interpret and apply them based on their own experiences, values, and knowledge. A similar ethical approach is adopted when preparing a research paper.

Ethical Research and Core Principles

Research typically involves information drawn from the participation and cooperation of multiple people and sources. An ethical approach in this context promotes the core values necessary for collaborative work and ensures that the intellectual property of individuals is protected. In this way, a research paper can draw on multiple sources to fulfill its purpose while upholding ethical, moral, and social values.

There are various codes, guidelines, and policies generally associated with ethics in research. These include honesty, integrity, objectivity, openness, carefulness, respect for intellectual property, confidentiality, responsible publication and mentoring, social responsibility, competence, legality, non-discrimination, and mutual respect (Resnik, 2011).

One of the most common violations in the field of ethical research is plagiarism. This is widely regarded as one of the most serious issues that academics face when preparing research papers. In plain terms, plagiarism refers to copying the data or writing of another individual or source into one's own work without properly citing or referencing that source. The copying may involve reproducing complete passages or sentence structures as found in the original source, or even just a few consecutive words used there.

Plagiarism in Academic Work

This violation completely undermines the credibility of the research paper, as the author demonstrates little or no commitment to an ethical approach. Plagiarism is most common among younger academics, such as college students, who prioritize speed over quality and credibility. Teachers and research professors typically respond by requiring the student to rewrite the paper, or by rejecting it outright, in order to prevent or minimize plagiarism to a tolerable level. The prevailing academic and research culture treats plagiarism as so unacceptable that it is largely equated with cheating.

As with many problems, prevention is preferable to remediation. Prevention can be addressed by both students and their teachers or mentors. Students can avoid plagiarism by ensuring that all research sources are used appropriately — that is, by properly citing any information taken from external sources. Teachers and mentors can help prevent plagiarism by assigning research topics that are sufficiently distinct and uncommon, making it harder for students to locate material to copy from the internet and incorporate into their own work (Hansen, Stith, & Tesdell, 2011).

A research paper is generally considered incomplete without external source data obtained independently from the researcher's own perspective. This is largely because students are often unable to conduct comprehensive original research due to limitations of time, guidance, and financial resources. As a substitute, information from external sources is used to help the student present, explain, and justify the paper's conclusions.

When information is obtained directly from an individual or external party, the ethical approach to research requires that informed consent be obtained from that party. Informed consent is one of the most fundamental ethical requirements for scientific research involving human participants (WMA, 2000). In most cases, informed consent is also a legal requirement (Steven Joffe, 2000). It requires the researcher to fully inform the external party about the nature of the research and to provide all relevant information so that the individual can make a decision based on a complete understanding of the facts. In this way, the participant is able to freely decide whether or not to take part in the study.