Research Ethics

Scope & Guideline

Transforming Ethical Challenges into Scholarly Dialogue.

Introduction

Explore the comprehensive scope of Research Ethics through our detailed guidelines, including its aims and scope. Stay updated with trending and emerging topics, and delve into declining areas to understand shifts in academic interest. Our guidelines also showcase highly cited topics, featuring influential research making a significant impact. Additionally, discover the latest published papers and those with high citation counts, offering a snapshot of current scholarly conversations. Use these guidelines to explore Research Ethics in depth and align your research initiatives with current academic trends.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1747-0161
PublisherSAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
Support Open AccessYes
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2014 to 2024
AbbreviationRES ETHICS-UK / Res. Ethics-UK
Frequency4 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address2455 TELLER RD, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91320

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Research Ethics' aims to explore the complexities and challenges surrounding ethical practices in research across various disciplines. It emphasizes the importance of ethical scrutiny in research design, implementation, and dissemination, particularly in vulnerable populations and sensitive contexts.
  1. Ethical Frameworks and Guidelines:
    The journal focuses on the development, analysis, and application of ethical frameworks and guidelines for conducting research, ensuring that researchers adhere to principles of integrity and ethical responsibility.
  2. Informed Consent Processes:
    A significant area of emphasis is on improving informed consent processes, exploring how to ensure participants fully understand their involvement and the implications of research.
  3. Vulnerable Populations:
    The journal highlights ethical considerations when engaging vulnerable populations, including children, minorities, and individuals in crisis situations, ensuring their rights and welfare are prioritized.
  4. Research Integrity and Misconduct:
    Research integrity is a core focus, with discussions surrounding misconduct, including authorship disputes, data fabrication, and the pressures leading to unethical practices.
  5. Interdisciplinary Ethical Considerations:
    The journal promotes interdisciplinary discussions on ethics, addressing unique challenges that arise within different fields of research, such as social sciences, health, and AI.
  6. Crisis Situations and Ethics:
    There is a particular interest in how research ethics evolve during crises, such as pandemics or natural disasters, and how these situations impact ethical decision-making.
Recent publications in 'Research Ethics' reveal a dynamic landscape of emerging themes and trends that reflect the evolving nature of research ethics in response to contemporary challenges and advancements. This section highlights key areas gaining prominence.
  1. Dual Use Research:
    There is a growing focus on the ethical implications of dual use research, especially in fields like artificial intelligence and biotechnology, where research can be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes.
  2. Community Engagement and Participation:
    Emerging themes emphasize the importance of community engagement and participatory research methods, particularly in understanding and addressing ethical issues in diverse cultural contexts.
  3. Ethics in Crisis Research:
    The journal is increasingly addressing research ethics in crisis situations, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on rapid response research and the ethical challenges it poses.
  4. Digital and Online Research Ethics:
    With the rise of digital technologies, there is an increasing emphasis on ethical considerations related to online data collection, social media recruitment, and privacy issues in digital research.
  5. AI and Research Ethics:
    The implications of artificial intelligence on research ethics are emerging as a critical theme, exploring both ethical dilemmas and the need for new ethical frameworks in AI research.
  6. Global Collaboration and Ethics:
    There is a notable trend towards examining the ethical dimensions of global research collaborations, particularly in resource-poor settings, emphasizing equity and justice in research practices.

Declining or Waning

While the journal continues to address a wide array of ethical issues in research, certain themes appear to be losing prominence or frequency in recent publications. These declining areas may reflect shifts in research priorities or emerging issues overshadowing older concerns.
  1. Animal Research Ethics:
    There has been a noticeable reduction in the number of papers focusing on ethical considerations specifically related to animal research, possibly due to a broader focus on human-centered ethical dilemmas in recent years.
  2. Traditional Ethical Review Processes:
    Discussions around traditional institutional review board (IRB) processes have decreased, suggesting a shift towards more innovative and flexible approaches to ethical oversight in research.
  3. Longitudinal Studies on Research Ethics:
    There appears to be fewer longitudinal studies examining the evolution of research ethics over time, which may indicate a current preference for more immediate and context-specific ethical inquiries.
  4. Ethics in Non-Academic Research:
    The focus on ethics in non-academic or grassroots research has waned, possibly as the journal shifts towards more formalized and institutionalized research contexts.
  5. Standardization of Ethical Guidelines:
    The conversations surrounding the standardization of ethical guidelines across disciplines are less frequent, suggesting a move towards recognizing the need for context-specific ethical considerations.

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