BEPREP Ethical Aspects

TEN PRINCIPLES FOR BEPREP ETHICAL RESEARCH CONDUCT

As consortium members, we commit to ensuring that BEPREP research:

Respects the integrity and dignity of all persons – researchers, subjects and the public;
Follows the “Do no harm” principle. Any risks must be clearly communicated to subjects involved;
Recognises the rights of individuals to privacy, personal data protection and rights in dissemination;
Honours the requirement of informed consent and continuous dialogue with research subjects;
Treats animals with respect and designs animal research in accordance with the 3 Rs: Replacement, Reduction, Refinement, including establishing humane endpoints;
Respects nature and does not impose irreversible change that threatens the environment or the biodiversity in research areas;
Respects the principle of proportionality: not imposing more than is necessary on your subjects or going beyond stated objectives (mission creep);
Treats societal concerns seriously – our researcher’s first obligation is to listen to the public and engage with them in constructive dialogue, transparently, honestly and with integrity;
Builds on the understanding that any benefits are for the good of society, and any widely shared expressions of concern about threats from our research must be considered (with the acceptance that perhaps certain research practices might have to be abandoned);
Respects ethical guidelines on authorship and contribution-ship of all members of the research consortium and recognises challenges and opportunities to improve practice.

(Adapted from European Commission (2013) Ethics for researchers Facilitating Research Excellence in FP7 available:

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