1. The Importance of Ethics and the Protection of Subjects By Westley R
The Importance of Ethics and the Protection of Subjects By Westley R. Meredith
A Brief History of the Protection of Subjects
The Belmont Reports Three Principles
How to Avoiding Personal Ethical Conflicts as an Investigator

2. A brief history
Prior to 1906, there were no regulations regarding the use of human subjects in research
It was not until 1948 that this issue was touched upon in research, when the Nuremburg Code was established
Tuskegee Syphilis Study ( )- 400 African American males were denied treatment for syphilis, even after the discovery of a cure in penicillin in the 1950s
Following the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, the National Research Act (1974) was passed
Established the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research
From the commission came The Belmont Report, the foundational document for the ethics of human subjects research in the United States
Obtained from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

3. The Belmont Report’s Three Principles
Respect for Persons
Informed Consent
Beneficence
Assessment of Risks and Benefits
Justice
Selection of Subjects

4. Respect for Persons (Autonomy)
"Respect for persons incorporates at least two ethical convictions: first, that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and second, that persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. The principle of respect for persons thus divides into two separate moral requirements: the requirement to acknowledge autonomy and the requirement to protect those with diminished autonomy."
Obtained from the Belmont Report

5. Application: Informed Consent
Purpose of the research
Procedures involved in the research
Alternatives available should a subject decide not to participate in the research
All foreseeable risks and discomforts to the subject. These include not only physical injury but also possible psychological, social, or economic harm, discomfort, or inconvenience
Benefits of the research to society and possibly to the individual human subject
Length of time the subject is expected to participate
Payment for participation (if applicable)
Person to contact for answers to questions or in the event of a research-related injury or emergency
Statement that participation is voluntary and that refusal to participate will not result in any consequences or any loss of benefits that the person is otherwise entitled to receive
Subjects' right to confidentiality and right to withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences
Obtained from Citi Training Program

6. Beneficence
"Persons are [to be] treated in an ethical manner not only by respecting their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making efforts to secure their well-being."
Two Obligations:
Do No Harm
Maximize Possible benefits and minimize possible harm
Assessment of Risks and Benefits
Ensure all possible risks to subject are explored
Ensure possible benefits outweigh the possible risks
Information obtained from Citi Training Program

7. Justice
The burdens and benefits of the research must be evenly distributed
Selection of subjects
“The selection of research subjects needs to be scrutinized to determine whether some classes are being systematically selected simply because of their easy availability, their compromised position, or their manipulability, rather than for reasons directly related to the problem being studied.”
In terms student subjects:
“Students have the right to be free from any coercion or bias that might result when a researcher is also evaluating them in a course. Therefore, the person recruiting the subjects should be someone other than an instructor of the students. This is to reduce any perception of coercion and to reduce the possibility of bias by the person evaluating the students resulting from knowing who is or isn't participating in the research project.”
Information obtained from Citi Training Program & The Belmont Report

8. Avoiding Ethical Conflict
Negotiating an agreement with the partner institution
Why is the project being conducted?
What are the potential uses for the data?
Determine data access and ownership
Avoid Role Conflicts
Understand your role.
Ensure ethical standards are met
Tell the Truth/avoid research misconduct
Obtained from Upcraft and Schuh

9. Research Misconduct
“Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, reviewing, or in reporting research results.”
Fabrication- making up data or results and recording or reporting them
Falsification- manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record
Plagiarism- the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit
*Note: Research misconduct does not include honest error
Obtained from the Citi Training Program

10. Summary Review Ethics with subjects
Respect the autonomy of the subjects
Obtain informed consent with full information given
Respect the subjects
Protect the confidentiality of the subject
Make sure to do no harm to your subjects
Never coerce your subject into participation in your research
Ethics with self
Ask questions!!!!!!
Avoid conflict of interests
Avoid participation in research misconduct at all levels

11. References
History of research ethics. The Office of Research Integrity - Human Subjects Research, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved from <
Research misconduct (2010). The Citi Training Program, Retrieved from < F0B-EA33-4AEC-8643-C0768F7BDAD &module=1495>
Upcraft , M. L., & Schuh, J. H. (1996). Assessment in student affairs. (pp ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary. (1979). The belmont report. Retrieved from website: <