Lesson 9. Summary of Rights, Roles and Responsibilities in Research Ethics
Read the information below found on page 4-6 of attached document on summary of rights and responsibilities in research ethics.
| Who? | Rights and responsibilities |
| Publishers | The benefits of publishing must be very clear to the authors, including how the journal benefits from the input of publishers Archiving to ensure that articles and data are not lost but can be availability perpetually Be clear about copyrights Using African values when publishing including using local languages, building capacity not dependence, respect for family, valuing indigenous knowledge and many others Contribute to decolonisation of literature Avoid tough language requirements that limit non-English speakers from publishing If you receive and keep data, maintain confidentiality Sustainable research – research must build capacity of African researchers and African institutions to research on their own and not to be dependent on people from outside perpetually. |
| Authors | Using African values when writing including using local languages, building capacity not dependence, respect for family, valuing indigenous knowledge and many others Apply African protocols when researching Contribute to decolonisation of literature y using African theories, approaches, literature and publishers Do not manipulate data or results Include only authors who have contributed It is often easy to use other people’s ideas without acknowledging, avoid this Contribute to any processes to investigate malpractice Avoid simultaneous submission Disclose any conflict of interest Get informed consent from participants and respondents Maintain confidentiality Do research that has a developmental purpose Adequate recognition and compensation of co-researchers, communities, assistants contributors, facilitators and guides |
| Reviewers | Using African values when reviewing Contribute to decolonisation of literature Apply your knowledge and skills to identify malpractice and contribute to any processes to investigate malpractice Avoid tough language requirements that limit non-English speakers from publishing Disclose any conflict of interest Accept research that have developmental purposes |
| Librarians | Contribute to decolonisation of literature by ordering, purchasing and displaying works of African writers and publishers Using local languages and valuing indigenous knowledge Make researchers more accessible |
| Indexing, Ranking and Metric providers | Using African values when indexing, ranking or generating metrics Be cognisant of the challenges African writers face in getting published, using foreign languages, getting cited and low online presence Contribute to decolonisation of literature |
| Advisory or Management Boards | Using African values when advising Contribute to decolonisation of literature Avoid tough language requirements that limit non-English speakers from publishing |
| Editors and Editorial Boards or teams | Using African values when editing Contribute to decolonisation of literature Ensure that authors who have contributed have been listed Disclose any conflict of interest Contribute to any processes to investigate malpractice |
| Ethics Committees | Using African values when evaluating Contribute to decolonisation of literature Guide against research that do not have developmental purpose Adequate recognition and compensation of co-researchers, communities, assistants contributors, facilitators and guides Sustainable research – research must build capacity of African researchers and African institutions to research on their own and not to be dependent on people from outside perpetually. |
| Research Funders, Universities and Research institutes | Fund sustainable research in a sustainable manner, building capacity not dependence Ensure researchers funded follow appropriate ethics and protocols Ensure that research ethics are not dumped, or research is done without ethics especially with African populations Contribute to decolonisation of research and literature including using local languages, respect for family, valuing indigenous knowledge and many others Contribute to any processes to investigate malpractice Compensation – where participants or contributors or communities were not adequately compensated or were harmed Avoid over researching some populations Guide against research that do not have developmental purpose Sustainable research – research must build capacity of African researchers and African institutions to research on their own and not to be dependent on people from outside perpetually. |
| Readers and Research Participants | Contribute to decolonisation of literature by reading African literature Participate in research with the knowledge that it will contribute to your life and that of others, and be wary of harmful research Be clear about compensation before you take part bearing in mind that research generally does not provide income but compensates for any loss of income you incur because of your participation Do not feel forced to participate in research especially by people with influence, money or foreigners |
Answer the questions below.