By Herman M. Lagon
Research ethics are typically seen as strict rules that researchers must follow to avoid academic scrutiny. However, they are much more than that. Credible, meaningful and socially responsible research starts with ethics. Scientific inquiry — uncovering truth and advancing humanity — is undermined without it. At the most recent Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology’s (ISUFST) two-day Basic Research Ethics Training (BRET), our resource speakers stressed that ethical research is about human dignity and trust, not conformity.
This workshop reminded us that research is not isolated. Every study affects people, communities and institutions; thus, beneficence, justice and non-maleficence are essential. These are real measures that avoid harm and spread research gains fairly. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study and Stanford Prison Experiment show what happens when ethics are ignored. Researchers must learn from these previous failures to prevent repeating them.
The training stressed informed consent. It is a moral requirement, not a formality. Participants understand the research, hazards and opportunity to withdraw with informed consent. Although the Declaration of Helsinki and the Nuremberg Code established this principle, lapses frequently occur, especially in vulnerable communities. Researchers must foster transparency and respect beyond consent form signings.
Research ethics go beyond human beings. Ethics in data and authorship are equally important. The session addressed the “three deadly sins” of research misconduct — fabrication, falsification and plagiarism. Artificial intelligence and digital tools make data manipulation and credit fraud more tempting. Academic institutions must improve oversight to uncover and deter unethical practices before they damage public trust in scholarship.
Ethical research also needs a good review mechanism. Research Ethics Committees (RECs) ensure ethical and scientific study requirements. Some detractors say the review process hinders research. However, our speaker, Dr. Joy Lizada, said during training, “A strong ethics review process does not hinder research; rather, it strengthens it.” Ethics is not a barrier; it protects findings from prejudice, exploitation and methodological errors.
The session addressed researchers’ ethical duties in emergencies. Public health crises like COVID-19 raise ethical challenges. How can researchers mix urgency and serious ethical oversight? The answer is following rules while adapting to changing circumstances. To assure ethical compliance, the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) has provided specific emergency research guidelines, emphasizing rapid and thorough evaluations.
Our scholars are strongly advised to prioritize ethical research in marginalized group studies. Unethical research generally targets indigenous, disabled, marginalized, and economically underprivileged people. The idea of fairness requires that these groups be empowered through participatory research that prioritizes their well-being. Researchers must actively incorporate communities in research to make them partners in knowledge development.
Academic institutions must also promote ethical research all the more. ISUFST leadership has adopted research ethics training as a priority. Future programs like Good Research Practice (GRP) and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Training will help researchers maintain ethical standards. Ethical reflexivity, not compliance, should be fostered in every researcher.
Remember that research ethics is about doing good as well as avoiding damage. Ethical research yields better data, credibility, and social influence. Integrity in research may change policy, enhance lives and advance national development. Our scholars and researchers must follow the DOST’s longstanding advice that ethical research is essential to innovation.
Critics may say research ethics are overemphasized, most researchers behave in good faith, and extra rules are bureaucratic barriers. Most researchers aim to perform ethical studies, but history shows that even well-intentioned scientists can enter ethical gray regions without sufficient precautions. Ethical mistakes, whether deliberate or not, can ruin years of work and public trust in scientific institutes.
Accountability underpins ethical research, too. Researchers should uphold the highest standards and serve the greater good, recognizing knowledge production as a privilege and obligation. ISUFST training stressed that researchers are truth stewards, not data collectors or analysts. They must publicize findings and maintain discipline and integrity.
As academic collaboration increases, our scholars and researchers must follow global ethical standards. Cutting corners or putting productivity above integrity would not help universities like ISUFST become a Southeast Asian research powerhouse by 2030. The goal will be achieved only by ethical scholarship emphasizing rigor, fairness and social responsibility.
One thing is clear: Research ethics is neither a philosophical nor a bureaucratic obligation. It underpins responsible scholarship. The recent ISUFST session taught participants that ethical research is about doing the right things and doing the right things right. Every researcher must now internalize this notion and make ethics a guiding force at every phase of the research process, not just a part of a proposal.
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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./WDJ