Research Ethics
Halina M. Zaleski
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Albania-Hawaii Higher Education and Economic Development Project
Two Questions and a Story
• Is the research ethically conducted?
• Are collaborators/others treated fairly?
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Ethical Principles
• Write on the card the guidelines or principles
that you use to make ethical decisions
• List the actual principles and not the sources
of the principles
• State your principles so that a stranger could
understand them
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Form a Society
• The number on your card identifies the group
you are in
• Each group will decide on ethical principles
that all can agree on
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Apply Your Principles
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Four studies
1. Outliers
2. Credit
3. Authors
4. The Consultant
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Case 1: Outliers
• “An agricultural economist developed a new and promising
theoretical model representing economic phenomena of
interest, but needed empirical evidence to support the
formulation. The data set needed to do this may exist.
However, upon initial estimation of model parameters, the
researcher discovers that the data do not provide parameter
estimates consistent with a thorough and rigorously
developed model specification. Further analysis traces the
problem to one or two outliers in the data set, and removal of
these outliers provides parameter estimates that, while
perhaps not perfect, are largely consistent with the
theoretical arguments.”
• Debertin, Luzar and Chambers, 1995. J of Ag and Resource
Econ. 20(1):82-95.
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Case 1: Outliers
• The economist needs to publish some results
in order to be considered for promotion.
• 1. What are the researcher’s options?
• 2. What should the researcher publish and
why?
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Case 2: Credit
• “Ben, a third year graduate student, had been working on a
research project that involved an important new experimental
technique. For a national meeting in his discipline, Ben wrote
an abstract and gave a brief presentation that mentioned the
new technique. After his presentation, he was surprised and
pleased when Dr. Freeman, a leading researcher from another
university, engaged him in an extended conversation. Dr.
Freeman asked Ben extensively about the new technique, and
Ben described it fully. Ben’s own faculty advisor often
encouraged his students not to keep secrets from other
researchers, and Ben was flattered that Dr. Freeman would be
so interested in his work.
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Case 2: Credit
• Six months later Ben was leafing through a journal
when he noticed an article by Dr. Freeman. The
article described an experiment that clearly
depended on the technique that Ben had developed.
He didn’t mind; in fact, he was again somewhat
flattered that his technique had so strongly
influenced Dr. Freeman’s work. But when he turned
to the citations, expecting to see a reference to his
abstract or presentation, his name was nowhere to
be found.”
• National academy of Sciences. 1995. On Being a
Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research.
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Case 2: Credit
• 1. What are Ben’s options?
• 2. What should Ben do and why?
• 3. What should Ben’s faculty advisor do?
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Case 3. Authorship
• “Paula, a young assistant professor, and two graduate
students have been working on a series of related
experiments for the past several years. During that time, the
experiments have been written up in various posters,
abstracts, and meeting presentations. Now it is time to write
up the experiments for publication, but the students and
Paula must first make an important decision. They could write
a single paper with one first author that would describe the
experiments in a comprehensive manner, or they could write
a series of shorter, less complete papers so that each student
could be a first author.
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Case 3. Authorship
• Paula favors the first option, arguing that a single
publication in a more visible journal would better
suit all their purposes. Paula’s students, on the other
hand, strongly suggest that a series of papers be
prepared. They argue that one paper encompassing
all the results would be too long and complex and
might damage their career opportunities because
the would not be able to point to a paper on which
they were first authors.”
• National academy of Sciences. 1995. On Being a
Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research.
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Case 3. Authorship
• 1. Should the experiments be published
together in a single paper?
• 2. If they publish a single paper, how should
the authors be listed?
• 3. If a single paper is published, how can they
emphasize to the review committees and
funding agencies their various roles and
the importance of the paper?
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Case 4. The Consultant
• You have just been hired as a market
consultant by a fast-growing company that
grows and processes tomatoes. The hours are
ideal and the pay is excellent. Additional
benefits include use of the company’s hotel
suite at a holiday resort.
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Case 4. The Consultant
• It has come to your attention that the tomatoes on
part of the company’s land have been infected with a
virus for which there is no treatment other than
destruction of the plants. You call this to the
attention of the assistant manager. The assistant
manager tells you that none of the customers have
complained or gotten sick, and the company will be
economically ruined if their crops are destroyed. He
tells you that he will not take any action at this time.
There is concern, however, that the damage could be
much worse if the virus should spread to other
farms.
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Case 4. The Consultant
• 1. What are the consultant’s options?
• 2. What should the consultant do and why?
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Journal of Agricultural Economics
• Why do people pay attention to the results of
your or other research?
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Journal of Agricultural Economics
• How does your field ensure that the results of
research are reliable?
• What are the consequences of publishing
questionable results?
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What are your obligations?
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To the university?
To the research community?
To the funding agency?
To collaborators?
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What are your expectations?
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From the university?
From the research community?
From the funding agency?
From collaborators?
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What are your obligations?
• To students?
• To extension?
• To farmers?
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What are your expectations?
• From students?
• From extension?
• From farmers?
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Workshop Evaluation
• Did the workshop make you think?
• Are your own principles clearer to you?
• Are you better prepared to think through
professional dilemmas?
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