Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts- Responsibility in Research

Authorship and other publication acknowledgments accurately reflect the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their professional status

• 6.10

  Documentation and Retention in Research

• 6.07

  Conflict of Interest in Research and Publication

• 6.08

  Appropriate Credit

• 6.05

  Confidentiality in Research

Answer explanation

Behavior analysts give appropriate credit (e.g., authorship, author-note acknowledgment) to research contributors in all dissemination activities. Authorship and other publication acknowledgments accurately reflect the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their professional status (e.g., professor, student).

Behavior analysts are responsible for obtaining informed consent (and assent when relevant) from potential research participants under the conditions required by the research review committee.

Answer explanation

6.04 Informed Consent in Research

Behavior Analysts plan and carry out their research and describe their procedures and findings to minimize the possibility that their research and results will be misleading or misinterpreted.

• 6.09

  Plagiarism

• 6.11

  Accuracy and Use of Data

• 6.06

  Competence in Conducting Research

• 6.03

  Research in Service Delivery

Answer explanation

Behavior analysts do not fabricate data or falsify results in their research, publications, and presentations. They plan and carry out their research and describe their procedures and findings to minimize the possibility that their research and results will be misleading or misinterpreted. If they discover errors in their published data they take steps to correct them by following publisher policy. Data from research projects are presented to the public and scientific community in their entirety whenever possible. When that is not possible, behavior analysts take caution and explain the exclusion of data (whether single data points, or partial or whole data sets) from presentations or manuscripts submitted for publication by providing a rationale and description of what was excluded.

Behavior analysts conduct research, whether independent of or in the context of service delivery, only after approval by a formal research review committee.

• 6.09

  Plagiarism

• 6.06

  Competence in Conducting Research

• 6.03

  Research in Service Delivery

• 6.02

  Research Review

Behavior analysts destroy physical documentation after making deidentified digital copies or summaries of data (e.g., reports and graphs) when permitted by relevant entities.

Answer explanation

6.10 Documentation and Data Retention in Research

Behavior analysts do not present portions or elements of another’s work or data as their own. Behavior analysts only republish their previously published data or text when accompanied by proper disclosure

• 6.09 Plagiarism

• 6.04

  Informed Consent in Research

• 6.08 Appropriate Credit

• 6.02` Research Review

Behavior analysts only conduct research independently after they have successfully conducted research under a supervisor in a defined relationship (e.g., thesis, dissertation, mentored research project)

Answer explanation

6.06

Competence in Conducting Research

When conducting research, behavior analysts identify, disclose, and address conflicts of interest (e.g., personal, financial, organization related, service related).

• 6.04 Informed Consent in Research

• 6.08 Appropriate Credit

• 6.07 Conflict of Interest in Research and Publication

• 6.11

  Accuracy and Use of Data

Answer explanation

When conducting research, behavior analysts identify, disclose, and address conflicts of interest (e.g., personal, financial, organization related, service related). They also identify, disclose, and address conflicts of interest in their publication and editorial activities.