Legal Research Methodology: Research Ethics and Unethical Practices in Authorship and Publication (Published)
Ethics is a branch of philosophy known as moral philosophy, which deals with what is right and wrong. It entails knowing what is right or wrong and doing what is right. In relation to research, ethics refers to a code of what is morally and legally right or wrong in the conduct of research. It is a system of moral rules for conducting research and reporting research results. It is simply a moral code for the responsible conduct of research. However, there are many unethical practices in authorship and publication by individuals, groups and institutions. The aim of this paper is to examine unethical practices in authorship and publication. In particular, it examines the concept of research ethics and some important codes of ethics in research. It also examines some core ethical principles in research. It further examines research misconduct including plagiarism and unethical practices in authorship and publication. It suggests training for all the stakeholders in the research community including students, supervisors, authors and professional writers.
Keywords: Plagiarism, authorship, research ethics, research integrity, research misconduct, unethical practices