characteristics for the sake of scientific inquiry, if the population cannot safely complete the
methods required, or if the data gathered from a particular population would be considered
invalid (i.e. physical activity recall in a population with a mental disability).
Objectivity
Objectivity in research entails eliminating bias and conflicts of interest from a study (conflict of
interest is described in more detail below). Neither the motivation for conducting the study,
the methodology used, the results of the study, nor how the results are interpreted should be
subject to an individual’s personal interests, values, or personal biases. Research findings
should be a result of the research itself and the topic or variable of interest, e.g. the
independent variable. If a researcher’s motivation is not objective when designing the study,
collecting the data, or analyzing the results, then they have introduced bias into the study,
which will likely produce invalid results.
Respect for intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is anything published, produced, manufactured, or discovered as a
result of a person or persons’ intellectual activity. Examples may include scientific works
and/or discoveries, inventions, industrial designs, literary and artistic works, etc. IP may be
involved in research in a few different ways. Researchers may use IP of another entity as a tool
in their research methodology, they may conduct research specifically on the IP of another
entity, or they may produce their own IP from their research. Regardless of how IP may be
involved in research, there are ethical considerations that must be acknowledged (3).
If researchers are using IP as a tool in their methodology or if they are researching a specific IP
item, all IP must be referenced appropriately. This includes, for example, manufacturers’
names, their locations, and the specific edition or version of the product(s) being used, as well
as how the product(s) were used in the study. If IP will be produced from their research, the
specific roles and contributions of each researcher should be determined beforehand for the
purposes of authorship, professional presentation, commercialization, etc. In some cases, such
as faculty member supervising a student, a written agreement is developed and signed by all
parties indicating roles and contributions (3).
Financial interests
It is common for researchers to seek financial support for their respective research and, indeed,
some research is dependent upon adequate external financial resources for it to be initiated or
sustained. All authors should disclose all sources of support, e.g. grants, contracts, gifts,
received and/or utilized for completion of the research to their university, co-authors,
members of their research team, any students contributing to the research project, and to all
research participants on consent documents. All authors should also fully disclose relevant
financial interests and external activities in presentations and publications. In some cases, the
researcher(s) with financial interest may have their role in the project limited in an effort to
mitigate potential conflict of interest.