Research ethics" encompasses reflection on the values, goods, practices and virtues of research processes (Committee on science, engineering, and public policy et al., 2009).

Fields of Research Ethics

Research ethics is divided into two categories. The first one of them refers to issues inherent to the exercise of research, in relation to what is known as Scientific Integrity, also known as good scientific conduct, as opposed to what would be misconduct; the latter is associated with "fabrication, falsification and plagiarism" -FFP-, which may occur during the process of formulating, conducting, reviewing research or reporting its results. Such conduct involves the alteration and falsification of data, plagiarism, the practice of including people in the list of authors who have not made a clear and significant intellectual contribution to the published work, as well as the practice of adding names to the list of authors in exchange for something, fabricating and falsifying data, among other issues (Singapore Declaration, July 21-24, 2010; Committee on science, engineering, and public policy et al., 2009).

The second The category of research ethics refers to the implications associated with the participation of external agents in the processes and results of research (Bird & Briggle, 2005). Such participation should foresee risks of diverse nature, in processes, such as:

• Data acquisition, management, sharing and ownership: registration of data (electronic records, photographs, slides, etc.) in terms of how and for how long it should be stored; who owns the data; who is responsible for storing it and who has access to it; issues such as privacy and confidentiality of participant information are included, as well as intellectual property issues and copyright laws.
  
  
• Conflicts of interest: potential interference in the objective evaluation of research findings is recognized as a result of financial interests, obligations to other stakeholders, personal and professional relationships, among other potential sources of conflict. In this regard, strategies should be considered to manage such conflicts in order to prevent or control inappropriate biases in the research design, data collection and interpretation.
  
  
• Involvement of human subjects: the ethical treatment of research subjects is based on the ethical principles described in the Belmont Report (1979) and Helsinki (1964), among others; these principles include: (a) respect for individuals, expressed in the requirement of informed consent to participate; and protection of vulnerable populations such as children and persons with limited mental capacity; (b) emphasis on beneficence, which maximizes the potential benefits of research and minimizes the risks; and (c) attention to considerations of justice in the form of equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of research among populations; adequate attention to participant privacy and to the range of potential harms, including psychological, social, and economic harms, is essential.
  
  
• Animal welfare: Research involving animals should incorporate animal welfare, in accordance with existing regulations, considering: the reduction of the number of animals used; the substitution of the use of animals with tissue cultures, cells, computer models or with animals lower on the phylogenetic scale, whenever appropriate and possible; and the refinement of research techniques to reduce or eliminate pain and stress.
  
  
• Exposure of living beings to technological processes: related to chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic, nano-materials and artificial intelligence agents, among others.

As can be seen, this category of research ethics addresses issues of health risks, quality of life, sustainability and the environment, among other aspects.

Please note that projects may have minimal and greater than minimal risks, as defined by Resolution 8430 of 1993 of the Ministry of Health, as well as no risk at all. This Resolution defines research risk as "the probability that the research subject will suffer some harm as an immediate or delayed consequence of the study".

Types of risks in scientific research

safe research is one that employs retrospective documentary research techniques and methods and those in which no intervention or intentional modification of the biological, physiological, psychological or social variables of the individuals participating in the study is carried out.

research with risk minimum refers to studies that employ the recording of data through common procedures consisting of: diagnostic physical or psychological examinations or routine treatment...

While investigations with greater than minimal risk are those in which the probabilities of affecting the subject are significant, among which are considered:

• Radiological and microwave studies
• Studies with drugs and modalities defined in Titles III (research on minors or the disabled)
• IV of this Resolution, (research on women of childbearing age, pregnant women, others).
• Tests with new devices, among others.

Expansion

Resolution 8430 of 1993 of the Ministry of Health

Research Ethics Author References

• Bird. S. J. & Briggle, A. (2005). Research ethics: Overview. C. Mitcham (ed.). (2005), Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. Volume 3, pp. Thomson Gale, a part of The Thomson Corporation, pp. 1599-1607
• Committee on science, engineering, and public policy, National academy of sciences, National academy of engineering, and Institute of medicine. (2009). On being a scientist. A guide to responsible conduct in research. Third edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
• HELSINKI DECLARATION OF THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. Adopted by the 18th World Medical Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964.
• SINGAPORE DECLARATION ON RESEARCH INTEGRITY. Developed as part of the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity, 21-24 July 2010, in Singapore, as a global guideline for responsible conduct in research.
• THE BELMONT REPORT. Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human research subjects. National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. U.S.A. April 18, 1979.
• Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation -Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation- (2021) Research Ethics, Bioethics and Scientific Integrity Policy. Minimum guidelines for the formation and operation of research ethics committees. Bogotá.

The following list of risks and, subsequently, the glossary of risks will allow you to know the concepts that will guide you in the completion of the Self-Assessment Form

Self-Assessment Form

Some risks associated with research with potential ethical implications:

Risks for external participants, associated with data and social processes:

• The use of information about software development, data management and information
• Psychological, social, ethnic and cultural impact on individuals and communities outside the company
• Uninformed participation of people or communities external to the project
• Discrimination based on knowledge, practices, culture, knowledge, religious beliefs, gender, ethnicity, social status or other
• Offering inducements, gifts or other incentives to individuals or communities
• The use of Artificial Intelligence that may put at risk: the privacy, intimacy and integrity of people; the control of people; the respect for ethnic or social groups; as well as the non-prevalence of children's rights; among others.
• Others

Risks for external participants, associated with chemical, physical, biological, mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic or other processes, due to:

• The emission of waste that can affect the air, water and the environment in general.
• Bioremediation of contaminated soils
• Handling of pollutants and hazardous chemicals
• The handling of residues of pesticides and phytosanitary products used in excess of regulatory limits; cross-contamination and allergenicity; the presence of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, dioxins, or others.
• Handling of pathogens and metabolites with the capacity to cause harm to human health.
• Experimentation with animals (including collection) and live tissues
• Food processing (includes handling of boilers, cutting systems, heat treatments, etc.), fragments of material that should not be in the food (pieces of bone, fish bones, etc.)
• The generation of electrical shocks, burns, fires, etc.
• Handling of printed circuit boards
• Performing metal-mechanical processes (welding, lead soldering, foundry, metal recycling, plate machining, mechanical equipment handling, or others)
• The emission of non-ionizing radiation (radiofrequency, microwaves), lasers, ultrasound, etc., can also be used as a source of radiation
• Exposure to nanomaterials of natural and man-made origin
• Others

Risk in Research: Projects may have minimal and greater than minimal risks, as defined by Resolution 8430 of 1993 of the Ministry of Health; as well as no risk at all. This Resolution defines research risk as "the probability that the research subject [as an external participant] suffers some harm as an immediate or delayed consequence of the study". No-risk research is research that employs retrospective documentary research techniques and methods and those in which no intentional intervention or modification of the biological, physiological, psychological or social variables of the individuals participating externally in the study is performed. Research with minimal risk refers to studies that employ the recording of data through common procedures consisting of: diagnostic physical or psychological examinations or routine treatments... While research with greater than minimal risk, are those in which the probabilities of affecting the external participant are significant, among which are considered: radiological and microwave studies, studies with drugs and modalities defined in Titles III (research on minors or disabled) and IV of this Resolution, (research on women of childbearing age, pregnant women, others... ), trials with new devices, among others.(Expansion: Resolution 8430 of 1993 of the Ministry of Health).

Chemical risk: is the risk that can be produced by uncontrolled exposure to chemical agents, and that can affect both human health and the environment. It can be produced by the handling of chemical substances, welding tasks (fumes), degreasing operations, foundry operations, basic operations (distillations, rectifications, extractions), cleaning with chemical products, pesticide application, etc...

Mechanical risk: is that which, if not adequately controlled, can cause bodily injuries such as cuts, abrasions, punctures, contusions, blows from detached or projected objects, trapping, crushing, burns, pressurized installations, etc... It can occur in any operation involving the handling of hand tools (motorized or not), machinery (e.g.: milling machines, sanders, lathes, drills, presses, etc.), handling of vehicles, use of lifting devices (cranes, overhead cranes, etc.). e.g.: milling machines, sanding machines, lathes, drills, presses, etc...), handling of vehicles, use of lifting devices (cranes, overhead cranes, etc...).

Electrical risk: is that susceptible to be produced by electrical installations, parts thereof, and any electrical device under voltage, with sufficient damage potential to produce electrocution and burns phenomena. It can occur in any task that involves handling or maneuvering of low, medium and high voltage electrical installations, maintenance operations, repair of electrical appliances, use of electrical equipment in environments for which the device was not designed (humid and/or wet environments), etc...

Biological risk: is that risk susceptible to be produced by an uncontrolled exposure to biological agents. A biological agent is any biological material (e.g. animal fibers), virus, bacterium, fungus, cell culture or human endoparasite capable of producing disease, infection, allergy, sensitization or toxicity. Biological hazards can occur in activities involving work with microorganisms, parasites, viruses, cell cultures, when experimenting or interacting with animals (laboratories, farms, slaughterhouses), in agricultural work, with sewage, in sanitation stations, or with medical and sanitary activities in which contagion could occur.

Risks related to Artificial Intelligence: relates to potential damages in any of the project stages (design, development, implementation, evaluation and impact) due to the introduction of Machine learning or Deep learning technologies. Such damages may be due to problems related to issues such as: lack of transparency of information; lack of adequate and sufficient explanation; lack of privacy or respect for people's intimacy; the attempt of human control from artificial intelligence decisions; security problems regarding people's integrity; problems of responsibility on the part of designers and developers; discrimination against ethnic or social groups; non active inclusion of populations traditionally marginalized from the benefits of AI; non-prevalence of children's rights; and in general, problems of social benefit with AI.

References

• Republic of Colombia - Ministry of Health. Resolution 8430 of 1993.
• Republic of Colombia. Ethical framework for artificial intelligence in Colombia. Document for discussion, 2020.
• Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Integrated Occupational Health and Safety Service. Manuals, Procedures and Instructions
  

  Safety in Laboratories and Workshops