205
Conflicts of Interest
Interest defined
A commitment, goal, or value held by either an individual or institution.
Examples
- Research project you are working on
- Working towards a degree, career, or promotion
When two or more contradictory interests relate to an activity
- could be an individual or institution
Conflicts of interest defined
More specifically:
In 2015 Paul Romain defined it as "Conflicts of interest represent circumstances in which professional judgments or actions regarding a primary interest, such as the responsibilities of a medical researcher, may be at risk of being unduly influenced by a secondary interest, such as financial gain or career advancement."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4596167/
Regarding research on humans:
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) states that conflicts of interest "are situations in which financial or other personal considerations may compromise, or have the appearance of compromising, and investigator's judgement in conducting or reporting research."
And the
National Academy of Sciences, Integrity in Scientific Research assert that "A conflict of interest in research exits when the individual has interests in the outcome of the research that may lead to personal advantage and that might therefore, in actuality or appearance compromise the integrity of the research."
https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/ucla/chapter4/default.htm
1. One must question the validity of the research
2. Consider if the well being of the subjects was compromised
- The well being of participants is more important than completing the research
Consequences
Resource for Research Ethics Education (RREE)
How to avoid COI
http://research-ethics.org/topics/conflicts-of-interest/
Comply with regulations:
Researchers should ask about and adhere to institutional and governmental requirements for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest.
Comply
Avoid
Avoid and minimize conflict:
Although it is not possible to avoid all sources of conflict, it is in the best interests of the scientific community and of individual scientists to recognize conflicts of interest and to take steps to nullify or mitigate those conflicts.
Disclose interests:
Disclose
If conflicts cannot be avoided, then those conflicts should be disclosed. At minimum, the institution and any other parties with a significant interest should be made aware of the extent and nature of the conflict.
Manage conflicts:
Manage
If conflicts cannot be avoided, then those conflicts should be disclosed. At minimum, the institution and any other parties with a significant interest should be made aware of the extent and nature of the conflict.
Keep learning:
Keep
Both the potential for conflicts of interest and the strategies for dealing with those conflicts are evolving. Considering the potential for misperceptions of a researcher's motives, it is best to assume that good intentions are not enough. Seek out information so as to comply with the spirit and letter of current regulations.