Responsible Conduct of Research in Audiology

ABSTRACT

The goal of science is knowledge. The goal of research is to draw inferences about a study sample and ultimately about the real world. The challenge is to minimize error. Adherence to scientific principles and accepted scientific practices minimizes error and facilitates accurate inferences. Research integrity and the responsible conduct of research is critical to the research process, maintaining trust in science, and preventing harm to those that research is meant to benefit. The responsible conduct of research in Audiology is reviewed here from the perspectives of an established researcher and a student investigator (i.e., doctoral candidate). The discussion begins with an illustrative vignette to spark contemplation and discussion of the topic. Ethical principles, regulations, and guidelines that promote research integrity are considered and additional materials for further study are provided.

KEYWORDS

Research integrity - ethics - research - humans - animals - principles - scientific conduct

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APPENDIX A Federal Agencies and Offices, Acronyms, and Web Site Addresses

Organization	Acronym	Web site
Office of Science and Technology Policy	OSTP	http://www.ostp.gov/
National Academy of Sciences	NAS	http://www.nasonline.org
Department of Health and Human Services	DHHS	http://www.hhs.gov/
National Institutes of Health	NIH	http://www.nih.gov/
Food and Drug Administration	FDA	http://www.fda.gov/
Office for Human Research Protections	OHRP	http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare	OLAW	http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/olaw/
Office of Research Integrity	ORI	http://ori.dhhs.gov/
Office for Civil Rights	OCR	http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/
National Science Foundation	NSF	http://www.nsf.gov/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NASA	http://www.nasa.gov/
United States Department of Agriculture	USDA	http://www.usda.gov/

APPENDIX B Suggested Materials for Further Study

Textbooks/Reports
Bulger RE, Heitman E, Reiser SJ. The Ethical Dimensions of the Biological Sciences. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2002
Field MJ, Behrman RE, eds. Committee on Clinical Research Involving Children. Ethical Conduct of Clinical Research Involving Children. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2004
Grinnell F. The Scientific Attitude. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press; 1992
Institute on Medicine Committee on Assessing Integrity in Research Environments. Integrity in Scientific Research: Creating an Environment that Promotes Responsible Conduct. Washington DC: National Academies Press; 2002
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine. On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research. Washington DC: National Academy Press; 1995
Journals
Science and Engineering Ethics. London, UK: Opragen Publications
Accountability in Research. Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis
Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. Hayward, CA: CSUEB Foundation
Web Sites
Bioethics Resources on the Web	http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics/
Integrity in Scientific Research	http://www.aaas.org/spp/video/
Responsible Conduct of Research Education Consortium (RCREC)	http://rcrec.org/
ORI Responsible Conduct of Research Education	http://ori.dhhs.gov/education/