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Ethics and Integrity in Research: Why Bridging the Gap Between Ethics and Integrity Matters

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Ethics and integrity should be intertwined within the concept of Responsible Research. Integrity Officers should also be Ethics Officers, enforcing compliance with rules and norms, but also raising awareness on the meaning of ethics in researchers’ daily work. Paul Ricoeur’s definition of Ethics – “the aim of living a good life with and for others in just institutions” (Ricoeur in Oneself as Another. University of Chicago Press, 1994) –, points out the relational dimension of Ethics that matters to all the stakeholders in scientific research. The dialogical interaction between Ethics and Integrity can help to prevent researchers from assuming self-regulation as the only possible path to be followed. In this paper, the challenges and the opportunities posed by this approach will be outlined and discussed, mainly, the challenges of building trust bottom up, while setting up restrictions to comply with rules and norms top down. Concerning the opportunities, the focus will be on making better science and building a solid network among the various stakeholders of the research system.

Source: Journal of Academic Ethics

DOI: 10.1007/s10805-024-09504-z

Author: Susana Magalhães

Institutions: i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular

Language: English

Topic: Academic integrity and plagiarism

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,090

Funders: Universidade do Porto, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia