Professional Ethics and Legal Standards Pre-Assessment

A researcher discovers that a colleague has been fabricating data in a published study. What is the most appropriate professional action for the researcher to take?

• Ignore the issue to avoid conflict

• Report the misconduct to the appropriate institutional authority

• Confront the colleague privately and ask them to fix it

• Publicly accuse the colleague without evidence

A scientist is conducting a study involving human participants. During the study, a participant reveals information that could indicate harm to themselves. What should the scientist do to balance confidentiality and legal responsibilities?

• Keep the information confidential at all costs

• Report the information to the appropriate authorities as required by law

• Share the information with all research team members

• Ignore the information as it is not related to the study

You are designing an experiment that involves collecting sensitive health data from participants. What steps should you take to ensure informed consent is ethically and legally obtained?

• Provide a brief verbal explanation and start the experiment

• Give participants a detailed written consent form, explain the study, answer questions, and obtain their signatures

• Assume consent if participants show up

• Only inform participants about the benefits, not the risks

A researcher is offered funding from a company that may benefit from the study’s results. What is the best way to manage this potential conflict of interest?

• Accept the funding and keep it secret

• Disclose the funding source to the institution and in all publications

• Refuse the funding without explanation

• Only tell close colleagues about the funding

A scientist is unsure whether a particular action in their research is ethically acceptable. What is the most strategic approach to resolve this uncertainty?

• Proceed with the action and hope for the best

• Consult the institution’s ethics board or review committee for guidance

• Ask a friend for their opinion

• Ignore the ethical concern

During a collaborative research project, one team member wants to publish preliminary results without the consent of all contributors. What is the most appropriate professional response?

• Allow the publication to proceed to gain recognition

• Insist that all contributors agree before publishing

• Publish the results under your own name

• Ignore the disagreement

A participant in a study requests to withdraw their data after the study has concluded. What should the researcher do to uphold ethical standards?

• Refuse the request since the study is over

• Remove the participant’s data if possible, as per the consent agreement

• Ignore the request

• Only remove the data if the participant threatens legal action

A research assistant is asked to handle confidential participant data. What is the best practice to ensure confidentiality is maintained?

• Store data on a personal laptop without encryption

• Use secure, password-protected systems and limit access to authorized personnel

• Share data with anyone interested in the research

• Print out all data and keep it in an unlocked drawer

A scientist is planning a study involving a vulnerable population. What should be included in the informed consent process to address ethical and legal responsibilities?

• Only provide information about the study’s benefits

• Clearly explain risks, benefits, rights to withdraw, and provide information in accessible language

• Skip the consent process to avoid confusion

• Only obtain consent from guardians, not participants

A researcher realizes that their personal beliefs may influence the interpretation of their data. What is the most ethical and professional way to address this situation?

• Ignore the potential bias and proceed

• Seek peer review and disclose any potential biases in the publication

• Only interpret the data in a way that supports their beliefs

• Hide the data that contradicts their beliefs