Research and Publication Ethics - Study Notes
Unit 1 - Introduction to Philosophy
Definition of Philosophy:
Philosophy is the systematic study of fundamental questions concerning existence, knowledge, values,
reason, mind, and language. It seeks to explore life's big questions using logic, reason, and critical thinking.
Nature & Scope:
- Philosophy is both speculative and analytical.
- It addresses abstract questions that are not always empirically verifiable.
- Scope includes metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, aesthetics.
Key Concepts:
- Being, reality, knowledge, values, truth, freedom, consciousness.
Branches of Philosophy:
1. Metaphysics - Study of existence and reality.
2. Epistemology - Study of knowledge and belief.
3. Ethics - Study of morality and values.
4. Logic - Principles of correct reasoning.
5. Aesthetics - Study of beauty and art.
6. Political Philosophy - Rights, justice, government.
Ethics - Moral Philosophy:
Definition: Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right and wrong.
Nature of Moral Judgment:
- Involves evaluating actions, intentions, and consequences.
- Relies on values, societal norms, reasoning.
Moral Reactions:
- May include guilt, shame, empathy, or pride based on ethical alignment.
Research and Publication Ethics - Study Notes
Unit 2 - Ethics in Science and Research
Ethics in Science and Research:
- Ethical science demands integrity, transparency, and accountability.
- Involves respect for data, participants, environment, and future implications.
Intellectual Honesty & Research Integrity:
- Avoiding deception, acknowledging limitations, giving proper credit.
Scientific Misconduct:
1. Fabrication - Making up data or results.
2. Falsification - Manipulating research data, processes, or results.
3. Plagiarism - Copying without attribution.
Other Forms:
- Redundant Publication - Repeating the same work in different places.
- Duplicate/Overlapping Publication - Same findings, multiple venues.
- Salami Slicing - Publishing minimal parts of one study as several papers.
Research and Publication Ethics - Study Notes
Unit 3 - Publication Ethics
Definition & Importance:
Publication ethics ensure credibility, trust, and academic integrity in research dissemination.
Best Practices:
- Transparency, authorship clarity, data sharing, honest reporting.
Standard Setting:
- Publishers and institutions enforce norms and ethical practices.
Guidelines and Organizations:
- COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
- WAME (World Association of Medical Editors)
- ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)
Conflicts of Interest:
- Must disclose financial, institutional, or personal interests that may bias the research.
Publication Misconduct:
- Refers to unethical behaviors such as data fabrication, authorship manipulation, and undisclosed COIs.
- Can arise from academic pressure, ignorance of ethics, or intentional fraud.
Research and Publication Ethics - Study Notes
Unit 4 - Misconduct and Ethical Violations
Types of Misconduct:
- Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unethical authorship, salami slicing, citation manipulation.
Violation of Publication Ethics:
- Breaches honesty and transparency in authorship, peer review, or result reporting.
Authorship and Contributorship:
- ICMJE criteria for authorship: contribution, writing, approval, accountability.
- CRediT taxonomy for contributor roles (conceptualization, data curation, writing, etc).
Identification of Misconduct:
- Use of plagiarism detection software, image analysis, peer review flags.
Complaints & Appeals:
- Procedures for raising ethical issues and appealing editorial decisions.
Predatory Publishers:
- Journals that exploit the open access model without proper peer review.
- Recognizable by aggressive marketing, lack of editorial transparency, and fake indexing.
Research and Publication Ethics - Study Notes
Unit 5 - Subject-Specific Ethical Issues and Examples
Subject-Specific Ethics:
- Biomedical: Consent, patient privacy, clinical trial honesty.
- Social Sciences: Participant welfare, cultural sensitivity.
- Engineering/AI: Safety, bias, and algorithmic fairness.
- Humanities: Plagiarism, misrepresentation of historical sources.
FFP: Fabrication, Falsification, Plagiarism
- Common across disciplines, undermines research credibility.
Authorship & COI:
- Proper credit and disclosure of competing interests are critical.
Complaints and Appeals:
- Handled by journals, institutions, or regulatory bodies.
Examples of Fraud:
India:
- Dr. Anil Potti - Misrepresentation in cancer trials.
- Image manipulation cases at IITs and CSIR labs.
Abroad:
- Andrew Wakefield - Vaccine-autism falsification.
- Hwang Woo-suk - Cloning fraud in South Korea.
- Diederik Stapel - Fabricated social psychology data in the Netherlands.
