A Review of the Dos and Don'ts of Research Ethics Policy Making in Scientific Outputs

A targeted research goes through some stages called the research process to solve problems. The research process can be defined as the life cycle of any research, and each stage requires the implementation of unique ethical principles. By entering the era of internet-based research, it is necessary to increase the researcher’s level of awareness, attitude, and performance regarding the standards of research ethics. Therefore, the awareness of different types of scientific misconduct and familiarity with ethical duties in the research process are the first steps in the development of the ethics-oriented path in scientific societies. Also, the research system activists, from authors, editors, publishers, and reviewers of publications, to policymakers, i.e. managers and decision-makers of universities, organizations, and research centers, by adhering to the principles of research ethics or providing appropriate infrastructure to promote, cultivate and implement ethical standards, should Help smooth this path in the research system. Therefore, to implement complementary measures, the present study strived to analyze and explain the operational dos and don’ts of research ethics, especially in the policymaking aspect of the research system by entering the second step.

This study reviewed the research and documents related to research ethics in the dimensions of internal and external policies, to analyze and explain the dos and don’ts of research ethics confronted by research system policymakers. To collect texts, three internal databases such as "Magiran", "SID" and "Civilica" and three external citation databases such as "Web of Science", "Scopus" and "Google Scholar" It has been examined in both categories regardless of the period.

Through studying the texts, “scientific formalism”, “publishing pressure”, “focusing on punitive policies”, and “weak monitoring system of journals” were identified as the don’ts faced by the policymakers of the research system, each of which in turn has produced obstacles in the development path ethical research. Furthermore, measures such as “focusing on problem-oriented and demand-oriented research”, “tendency to systems thinking”, and “directing toward academic socialization” were identified as the dos of the research system.

Along with the formulation of ethical codes in research, the policymakers of the research system must implement mechanisms to prevent and manage research violations with a positive approach and cultivate ethical activists. Meanwhile, scientific structure and culture as well as an efficient educational system can significantly contribute to the institutionalization of ethical values and attitudes in research. Therefore, it is clear that the policymakers of the research system, while formulating legal and criminal principles and standards, need to pay special attention to incentive policies to support scientific self-regulation institutions and develop and promote healthy and applied research. Finally, it is suggested that in future studies, the level of performance of the activists and especially the policymakers of the research system in the field of fulfilling research ethics should be evaluated and compared. Also, at the national level, it is necessary to identify the factors influencing the construction of the desired future of research and publication ethics so that the results can be used in the policies of the research system.