Chapter 18

Research ethics and decisions

Within academia, we often compartmentalizes our work into research, service, and teaching. This creates an illusion of separation, neglecting the interconnectedness of these activities. A typical day involves a blend of tasks — meetings, mentoring, teaching, emails — sometimes leaving limited time for research, the very activity that often defines our scholarly value. Thus a conundrum exists: How can we excel in research if its time allotment is constantly squeezed by other necessary duties? Further complicating matters, these pressures can push scholars towards ethically questionable research practices (QRPs) with far-ranging outcomes.

This chapter explores this very issue by discussing two non-research projects, one in community engagement and another in science communication. Both projects aligned with my scholarly role, yet presented unforeseen ethical dilemmas. While not being ‘research’ in the traditional sense, both projects had an impact on my ability to ethically conduct research. By discussing the challenges that arose during these projects, the chapter highlights the importance of understanding research decision making and how decisions made in one sphere of our academic lives can impact others.