This is freedom for individuals within the academy, rather than the autonomy of academic institutions within society, although the two are linked. While the precise meaning and boundaries of the term are contested, it describes an expectation that individual academics will be able freely to determine a range of matters in relation to teaching, research, and self-governance,
Accountability applies to both individuals and institutions. It means taking responsibility for your actions rather than trying to shift responsibility (or blame) elsewhere. This involves being able to explain the reasons behind your actions when necessary, and being prepared to discuss your actions and their consequences. It implies a willingness to accept and act
Give appropriate credit to someone for their ideas or effort that have contributed to a project (or fail to do so). [See also Authorship.] ‘Appropriate credit’ varies by discipline. For example, in psychology, people who have contributed to a research project may be listed as authors of an article about the findings even if
Researchers have responsibilities after a project is completed (Kara 2018). It is not easy to define the end of a research project: is it when the funding has all been spent, or when the last meeting has been held, or the last output published? Whenever the end point is, researchers continue to be responsible
Granting to participants or others the right to have their name and other identifying details withheld from third parties. Committees or boards that grant ethics approval usually require researchers to maintain participants’ anonymity. However, this is not always ethical in itself. For example, Kristen Perry (2011), who worked with Sudanese refugees in America, found
Putting research findings to use in professional or other practice or public policy. This is generally regarded as ethical because it maximises use of the resources expended on conducting the research. These resources are both those of the funders and those of the participants, whether in time, materials or goodwill. However, researchers should also
The agreement of someone not deemed able to give consent due to, for example, youth or cognitive impairment [see also Consent]. This contains the implication that a parent or a carer will always be better able to give consent than a child or a patient. However, that may not be the case if the
A type of research that aims to reveal the efficiency, effectiveness or quality of an institution, community, or other entity by examining its use of resources and assets relative to costs and outputs. Although this stance has been contested (Gawande 2007), audit is generally not thought to require ethics regulation because it is being conducted
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors recommended four conditions for authorship: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND Final approval of the version to be published; AND
“The capacity of a person to govern him or herself, on the basis of reasoned decisions and free from controlling influences by others. Autonomy is widely held to involve the capacity for reason and understanding, a degree of self-control, and freedom from coercion and manipulation” (Hughes et al 2010) As a principle, autonomy is, in