PRO-RES

PRO-RES: PROmoting ethics and integrity in non-medical RESearch

Trying to behave ethically and with integrity when conducting research can prove to be complicated given the wide range of codes, guidelines and frameworks. Regulations are diverse and inconsistent, and review practices vary considerably – between countries, institutions, disciplines and professions. As multinational and interdisciplinary research grow, it is vital that the confusion arising out of such disparate approaches should be reduced as far as possible.

The main objective of PRO-RES is to devise and build a supported guidance framework for all non-medical sciences and humanities disciplines adopting social science methodologies. The framework will meet the highest standards of research ethics and scientific integrity and be comprehensive, covering the full range of issues and concerns – such as dealing with innovative technologies and the novel research possibilities of big data, the challenges of social media research and balancing public interest concerns with cherished rights to privacy. It will be of practical help in guiding interested parties to ways of achieving reliable and trustworthy research. It will not duplicate existing work – merely guide stakeholders in the direction of established existing good practices.