A guide for writing a good ethically research

1. Research is the corner stone of
modern science. Computer science
and the discipline's technological
artifacts touch nearly every aspect
of modern life, and computer
scientists must conduct and report
their research in an ethical manner.
This report is to provide a general
guideline for ethics in research
conducting as what to be done or
avoided and the most commonly
ethics principles.
A guide for writing
a good ethically
research
Submitted to PHD. Waleed fakhr
Student Name : Moataz Mahmoud
Student Number : 12220329

2. Introduction
What is Ethics in Research?
When thinking about ethics, mostly it is viewed as rules for difference between right and wrong. The
most common way of defining "ethics": norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and
unacceptable behavior [David B. Resnik - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/- 05/ 2011]. Most
people acquire their sense of right and wrong during childhood, moral development occurs throughout life as
human beings pass through different stages of maturity. Ethical norms might be considered a simple
commonsense. On the other hand, if morality were commonsense, then why are there so many ethical issues
in our society?
Another way of defining 'ethics' focuses on the disciplines that study standards of conduct, such as
philosophy, theology, law, psychology, or sociology. Also ethics can be defined as a method, procedure, or
perspective for deciding how to act and for analyzing complex problems and issues. For example,
considering the issue of global warming, it can be viewed from economic, ecological, political, or ethical
perspective. Where an economist might examine the cost and benefits of various policies related to global
warming, an environmental ethicist could examine the ethical values and principles at stake. Ethical norms
serve the aims or goals of research and apply to people who conduct scientific research or other scholarly or
creative activities. There is even a specialized discipline, research ethics, which studies these norms.
Why is it Important?
1. Norms promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error.
Prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote the truth
and avoid error.
2. Ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust,
accountability, mutual respect, and fairness. For example, many ethical norms in research,
such as guidelines for authorship, copyright and patenting policies, data sharing policies, and
confidentiality rules in peer review, are designed to protect intellectual property interests
while encouraging collaboration.
3. Many of the ethical norms help to ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the
public. For instance, federal policies on research misconduct, conflicts of interest, the human
subject’s protections, and animal care and use are necessary in order to make sure that
researchers who are funded by public money can be held accountable to the public.
4. Ethical norms in research also help to build public support for research. People more likely to
fund research project if they can trust the quality and integrity of research.
5. Many of the norms of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values,
such as social responsibility, human rights, compliance with the law, and health and safety.
Ethical lapses in research can significantly harm human and animal subjects, students, and
the public. For example, a researcher who fabricates data in a clinical trial may harm or even
kill patients and a researcher who fails to obey regulations and guidelines relating to safety
may jeopardize his or others health and safety.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Its purpose is to review research and determine if the rights and welfare of human participants
involved in research are protected. The IRB has authority to approve, require modification, or disapprove all
research activities. All studies undergo continuing review to ensure that the risk-benefit relationship of the
research remains acceptable where the informed consent process and documents are still appropriate, the
enrollment of participants has been classified and any changes in the study has also receive IRB approval.
IRB put into consideration the risks to the participants, the expected benefits to the participants, others and
importance of the knowledge that may result and the informed approval process to be employed [Ethics from
Belmont Report - http://hccdev.cc.gatech.edu/documents/112_Fisk_Ethics 2004.pdf].

3. The source of codes and policies for research ethics
Many different professional associations, government agencies, and universities have adopted
specific codes, rules, and policies relating to research ethics. Many government agencies, such as the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) have ethics rules for funded researchers.
Other influential research ethics policies include the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts
Submitted to Biomedical Journals (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), the Chemist's Code
of Conduct (American Chemical Society), Code of Ethics (American Society for Clinical Laboratory
Science) Ethical Principles of Psychologists (American Psychological Association), Statements on Ethics
and Professional Responsibility (American Anthropological Association), Statement on Professional Ethics
(American Association of University Professors), the Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki
(World Medical Association).
Professional and scientific societies often have codes of ethics. ACM Code of Ethics: privacy issues;
responsible use of technology; don’t mislead the public. Many scientific journals impose ethical
requirements on authors. Examples include:
 Release of data to other scientists on request
 Compliance with NIH animal care guidelines
 Compliance with human subjects regulations
 Avoiding duplicate publication
Brief Overview
How to use resources in a research paper?
Most researchers use outside research sources in their academic papers, they face problems with the
following questions:
 What is a citation?
 Why do I need to cite?
 What is a source?
 What does it mean to quote, paraphrase, and summarize a source?
 What is a citation style?
 What does it mean to plagiarize?
Why we need to cite sources?
Researchers need outsource researches to supports their argument or opinion, the receiver will be
more likely to believe it. Citation (or listing) of outside sources is needed for the concept of intellectual
property (property of someone’s mind) is very important.
What is intellectual property?
It is an original idea or information (usually stated in words and/or numbers) that is treated as the
property of its creator, and treated by the law in the same way as a new mechanical invention is treated.
That means that one’s idea cannot be used by another without a statement telling the receiver that it is
the product of someone else.
What is a citation?
It is the statement to the receiver, which is included in the body of the research paper as well as
in the reference section of the research paper. Ought to be mentioned that common knowledge
information do net need citation. There is a slightly different form depending on the citation style used.
Three of the most commonly used citation styles are:
 MLA (Modern Language Association) (MLA)
 APA (American Psychological Association)
 Chicago

4. Why use and what are quotations, paraphrases, and summaries?
Taken from outsource as is, to make the research paper claims or arguments stronger (Evidence)
What is a quotation?
A quotation is an exact copy of a group of words from a research source. Although some
words from the original source text may be left out of a quotation (using ellipses […]), the words that
are copied must be exactly the same as those from the source. It is advisable to not quote too often in
your paper.
What is a paraphrase?
Is an outsourcer’s idea that is written completely in the researcher own words. It is always
advisable to use paraphrase more than using quoting a source. In order to paraphrase correctly and
effectively, the understanding of the original source sentence (or sentences) very well is needed.
Paraphrasing helps the researcher in understating what outsource author means.
What is a summary?
A summary is very similar to a paraphrase; written by the researcher own words. A summary
is different from a paraphrase because it is a summary and more condensed and less specific than a
paraphrase.
It is not acceptable to insert a large number of quotes or paraphrases with only a few words from the
researcher without explaining the connection between the words and ideas of your sources to the researcher
own thoughts and ideas.
Discussion
General ethical principles
[Shamoo A and Resnik D. 2009. Responsible Conduct of Research, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press)]
Honesty
Honesty in all scientific communications is obligatory. Honestly report data, results, methods
and procedures, and publication status. Do not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data. Do not deceive
colleagues, granting agencies, or the public.
Objectivity
Avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review, personnel
decisions, grant writing, expert testimony, and other aspects of research where objectivity is expected
or required. Avoid or minimize bias or self-deception. Disclose personal or financial interests that
may affect research.
Integrity
Keep promises and agreements; act with sincerity; aim for consistency of thought and action.
Carefulness
Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine own work and the
work of peers. Keep good records of research activities, such as data collection, research design, and
correspondence with agencies or journals.
Openness
Sharing of data, results, ideas, tools, resources and be open to criticism and new ideas.
Respect for Intellectual Property
Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property. Do not use unpublished
data, methods, or results without permission. Give credit where credit is due. Give proper
acknowledgement or credit for all contributions to research. Never plagiarize.

5. Confidentiality
Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants submitted for publication,
personnel records, trade or military secrets, and patient records.
Responsible Publication
Publish in order to advance research and scholarship, not to advance just own career. Avoid
wasteful and duplicative publication.
Responsible Mentoring
Help to educate, mentor, and advise others. Promote their welfare and allow them to make
their own decisions.
Respect for colleagues
Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.
Social Responsibility
Promote social good and prevent or ease social harms through research, public education.
Non-Discrimination
Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or
other factors that are not related to their scientific competence and integrity.
Competence
Maintain and improve your own professional competence and expertise through lifelong
education and learning; take steps to promote competence in science as a whole.
Legality
Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.
Animal Care
Show proper respect and care for animals when using them in research. Do not conduct
unnecessary or poorly designed animal experiments.
Human Subjects Protection
When conducting research on human subjects minimize harms and risks and maximize
benefits; respect human dignity, privacy, and autonomy; take special precautions with vulnerable
populations; and strive to distribute the benefits and burdens of research fairly.
What to be avoided
Research Misconduct
Research misconduct means Fabrication, Falsification, or Plagiarism (FFP) in proposing, performing,
or reviewing research, or in reporting research results [Prashant V. Kamat, Research Ethics].
 Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
 Falsification is 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 is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without
giving appropriate credit.
 Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.
Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

6.  Plagiarism:
Using the ideas of another person without giving appropriate credit (Nat. Acad. Press document)
 Self-Plagiarism:
The verbatim copying or reuse of other’s own research (IEEE Policy statement).
Both types of plagiarism are considered to be unacceptable practice in scientific literature
Other Types of Ethical Violations
 Duplicate publication/submission of research findings; failure to inform the editor of related
papers that the author has under consideration or “in press”
 Unrevealed conflicts of interest that could affect the interpretation of the findings
 Misrepresentation of research findings - use of selective or fraudulent data to support a
hypothesis or claim
Useful Tips to succeed in research paper
 Be Selfish. The researcher is working for a self-benefit.
 Set a weekly goal and evaluate the progress routinely.
 Minimize nonscientific browsing time, as sitting at the desk does not mean that the day was
productive.
 Have fun, but remember to give productive eight hour to the research
Note: A researcher is not a technician. The role of the advisor is to guide the researcher through
his/her project and help them succeed in their research. Don’t expect the advisor to suggest the work
on a daily basis. Researcher must get serious and take responsibility for his/her own project.
Conclusion
How to Avoid Ethical Dilemmas
[David S. Touretzky - Ethics and Etiquette in Scientific Research Aug. 2009 -
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/dst/public/ethics/ethics98.pdf ]
 Know the rules. How are researchers supposed to behave? Always ask who says so?
 Know your rights as a scientist. Are you being treated fairly?
o Co-authorship, priority, conflicts of interest, etc.
 Learn to recognize the most common ethical mistakes:
o Misappropriation of text or ideas
o Deceptive reporting of research results
o Breach of confidentiality
 Take steps now to avoid conflicts in your research group, or resolve them quickly with
minimal discomfort.
 Learn from others’ mistakes. (Enjoy horrifying stories of how people ruined their careers
by gross ethical violations.)