Ethical guidelines ensure that research involving human subjects respects their autonomy, minimizes risks, and maximizes potential benefits.
This includes informed consent, confidentiality, and minimizing psychological or physical harm. By violating these norms, researchers can exploit and endanger participants, leading to physical and psychological harm.
Ethical conduct upholds the integrity of research findings. Fabricating data, falsifying results, or plagiarizing the work of others undermines the credibility of research and hinders scientific progress. It erodes public trust in science and can lead to misinformed decisions and harmful consequences.
Fair treatment of research partners, proper attribution of contributions, and responsible data sharing foster a collaborative environment where researchers can work together toward shared goals. Dishonesty and unethical practices create mistrust and hinder collaboration, ultimately slowing down scientific progress.