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Principles of ethics in biomedical research
Researchers need to apply ethical principles to their studies
Principles of ethics in biomedical research
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There are cases in the history of scientific inquiry that are marred by instances of fraud. Robert Bell's The Impure Science offers several case studies in questionable scientific activity; Bernard Rollin touches on a few more cases in the final chapter of Science and Ethics, and the chapter "Deceit in History" offers an account of possible fraud by some of science's largest historical figures. What is strange about these accounts is that the integrity of the scientific discipline remains unaffected despite these instances of fraud. The central question of this brief analysis is to ask if science can sufficiently control its internal fraud. Science's self-policing techniques are peer review for research proposals, referee system for the review of manuscripts, and the ability to replicate scientific results (Rollin ).
Peer Review:
The notion of peer review for research proposals is noble at the surface level. First, if scientists had to make their research proposals to those outside of the scientific community there is concern that the reviewers would be uneducated on the topic. Part of the research and publication process is to be an expert in a field, know all of the relevant literature, and to know what a contribution to the field would be. Obtaining this level of expertise in a given area takes a great deal of time and effort. Now consider all of the research proposals that are sent out for funding by scientists each year. The topics and areas of research are vastly varied and typically highly specific. It only seems plausible to have other experts review research proposals as they are the only ones truly qualified to determine if a project is a contribution to the field. However, this may pose a problem for the process.
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...owever, the difficulty of removing oneself from the hermeneutic position undermines the effectiveness of these methods. Additionally, the most effective self-policing method, replication of scientific results, is just not practical for detecting fraud across the entire field. The only other solution appears to be external forces that check scientific research for fraud, but over regulation may hinder scientific progress. Determining a proper balance between oversight and internal regulation may be the best solution albeit a difficult one to obtain.
Works Cited:
Bell, Robert. Impure Science: Fraud, Compromise and Political Influence in Scientific Research. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1992. Print.
Broad, W. and N. Wade. "Deceit in History" from Betrayers of the Truth.
Rollin, Bernard. Science and Ethics. New York: Cambridge UP. 2006. Print.
Henry, John. (2001). The scientific revolution and the origins of modern science. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Publishing
Institutional review boards (IRBs) were put in to place to assure the health and safety of all research participants and to make sure all research is being conducted to the APA’s standard of ethics. Since people without specialties are required to be one each panel it is often times argued that many propels are denied because these boards may fail to get the merit of the work due to a lack of understanding the material. People also argue that the boards may not be focused enough on psychological studies and based in the medical field. This requires the researchers to add irrelevant content to their studies. IRB’s
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The history of medical research in the twentieth century provides abundant evidence which shows how easy it is to exploit individuals, especially the sick, the weak, and the vulnerable, when the only moral guide for science is a naive utilitarian dedication to the greatest good for the greatest number. Locally administered internal review boards were thought to be a solution to the need for ethical safeguards to protect the human guinea pig. However, with problems surrounding informed consent, the differentiation between experimentation and treatment, and the new advances within medicine, internal review boards were found to be inadequate for the job. This led to the establishment of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission by President Bill Clinton in the hopes of setting clear ethical standards for human research.
Academic dishonesty, specifically cheating and plagiarism, recently has increased in popularity. Students often justify unethical academic behavior. Technological innovations, like the cellular telephone, have provided students with new methods of cheating. Plagiarism has also been influenced through technologies, specifically internet companies have emerged that provide unethical solutions to academic assignments.
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Often, scientists are tasked with the role of providing evidence to support theories or to predict future outcomes based on scientific research. This methods or research are usually accepted in natural sciences like chemistry and physics. This is because unlike social science, they usually use formulas, well laid out structures and methods (Guttin, 2012). However, when it comes to social science, researchers usually work using theories by formulating hypothesis, and researching to prove or disapprove the theories. When doing this, social science researchers usually become advocates in certain circumstances. This paper highlights some of the pros and cons of scientists becoming advocates, and gives examples of when social scientists become advocates and situations where they observe objectivity.
This is could be attributed to increasing concerns by over eighty state and national scientific societies stating that creation science and intelligent design cannot qualify as science (Flaherty, 2013). In other words, as much as scientific societies appreciated academic freedom, they emphasized the need for institutions to exercise academic integrity by teaching students scientific theories without sharing their personal beliefs...
In his article entitled "Enemies of Promise," J. Michael Bishop attempts to defend the creditability of science. As a scientist, Bishop believes that science has "solved many of nature's puzzles and greatly enlarged human knowledge" (237) as well as "vastly improved human welfare" (237). Despite these benefits, Bishop points out that some critics are skeptical and have generally mistrusted the field. Bishop believes that "the source of these dissatisfactions appears to be an exaggerated view of what science can do" (239). In the defense of science, Bishop argues that this problem is not due to science rather, it results from a lack of resources. "When scientists fail to meet unrealistic expectations, they are condemned by critics who do not recognize the limits of science" (240).
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