In order to make explicit its commitment to the pursuit of quality, IDIBELL endorses and promotes these 18 fundamental ethical principles to help researchers to understand and fulfil their responsibilities in research:
1. Honesty. Present your data and results honestly, do not falsify or misunderstand data. Do not disappoint your partners, funding agencies or society.
2. Objectivity. Avoid bias in experimental design, analysis and interpretation of data, methodologies and procedures, decision-making and writing projects or any other aspect of your research in which objectivity is necessary and expected.
3. Integrity. Keep your promises and commitments, acting with sincerity, be consistent in your actions and decisions.
4. Care. Avoid mistakes for careless or negligence, review carefully and with critical spirit your work and that of your people. Keep a good record of your research activities and your data collections, experimental designs and correspondence with agencies or magazines.
5. Openness. Share data, results, ideas, tools and resources. Be open to criticism and to new ideas.
6. Respect for intellectual property. Respect patents, copyrights and other intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data, methodologies or results without permission. Recognize who is deserving merits. Recognize and acknowledge all the contributions to your research. Do not plagiarize.
7. Confidenciality. Protect confidential communications, such as articles or projects submitted for publication, personal records or patients.
8. Responsible publication. Publish with the goal of advancing research and education. Avoid excessive or duplicate publications.
9. Responsible tutoring. Help to educate and counsel students. Promote their wellbeing and help them make their own decisions.
10. Respect for colleagues. Respect your teammates and treat them fairly.
11. Social responsibility. Ensure promoting social good and prevent or mitigate social harms through research and public education.
12. No discrimination. Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students based on gender, race, ethnicity or other factors not related to their scientific competence and integrity.
13. Competence. Maintain and improve your professional competence through continuing education and learning; promote competition in science as a whole.
14. Legality. Know and obey the laws and regulations that apply to us as well as the institutional policy.
15. Animal welfare. Show respect and care for animals used for research. Do not make unnecessary or poorly designed experiments using animals.
16. People protection. If you research on humans, minimize the damage and the risks and maximize benefits: respect the dignity, privacy and autonomy, be particularly sensitive and careful with vulnerable people. Ensure distribute the benefits and burdens of research fairly.
17. Environment. If you research with hazardous materials to the environment, minimize their consumption and manage waste properly. Ensure compliance with established procedures.
18. Protection of staff. In all its activities, minimize the damages and occupational hazards. Use the established security measures and use the personal protective equipment supplied. Ensure compliance with established procedures and ensure that all staff know and follow them.
Signed document (pdf, Catalan)
IDIBELL Best practice guidelines on research in health sciences (pdf)
