Research and science are important progress-driving engines. Nevertheless, this objective could lead to aberration without putting ethical limits to the means. Ethics doesn’t prevent from innovation, it reprensents a solutions‘ framework to implement in order to solve the problems.
This framework is not defined by rules or precise policy. Indeed, the ethical analysis has to reflect at the same time the standards internationally recognized and the relevance of local cultural values, underlines the report of the World Health Organization (WHO). In order to adapt these principles to every culture, it is recommended to respect some guidelines that will help to recognise what is morally acceptable.
Among the ethical problems, regarding research, conflicts of interests can compromise the investigation process integrity. In this case a person can defend their position not because they think it is the right one, but only for personal interests. These interferences appear at different levels: from conception of the study to the results interpretation , through the conduct of experiments. According to WHO, studies have allowed to establish a significant link between the funding source and the outcome of the research.
Starting a new research project, it is important to identify the professional obligations of the research team and the grips of interests which can hinder them. Then, it is necessary to set up measures to limit the impact of those particular interests. In this perspective, France decreed the obligation to indicate benefits people could receive when their research is linked to industry.
