Dear Hamza Kweyu Omullah,

I fully agree with you. In my opinion, ethics in scientific research is the indisputable foundation of the credibility and integrity of discoveries, regardless of the field in which they are conducted. The pursuit of knowledge, whether in the social sciences, medicine, life sciences or other disciplines, must be grounded in ethical principles to ensure that the research process is conducted fairly, responsibly and with respect for human and animal rights. Research ethics covers a wide range of aspects, from the treatment of participants to the processing of data to the reporting of results. In research involving human subjects, informed consent is crucial, which means that subjects must be fully informed of the purpose of the study, the procedures, potential risks and benefits, and be able to withdraw from the study at any time. Special protection is afforded to minors, intellectually disabled and other vulnerable groups, where the consent of legal guardians is required and the views of participants are taken into account where possible. Anonymity and confidentiality of participants' personal data are essential to ensure their safety and privacy. In animal research, animal suffering should be minimised, humane research methods should be used and animal welfare should be taken into account. Alternative research methods, such as computer models or in vitro testing, should be considered first when available and appropriate. Data collected in research must be processed fairly and objectively. Data manipulation, falsification of results or plagiarism are unacceptable and a serious breach of research ethics. It is important that researchers ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data, as well as its proper storage and archiving. Access to data should be limited to authorised persons and their use must be consistent with the purpose of the research. Research results should be presented clearly, objectively and fairly. Researchers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect the interpretation of the results. Any limitations of the study, such as incompleteness of data or methodological problems, should be openly discussed. The results of the research, both positive and negative, should be published to allow other scientists to verify the findings and develop scientific knowledge. Ethical conduct of research fosters the integration of the scientific community by building trust and respect between researchers. Open communication, sharing of data and joint publication of results contribute to the development of scientific collaboration, which in turn leads to faster progress in science. International cooperation in research is particularly important in the context of global challenges such as climate change, pandemics or diseases of civilisation. In this context, interdisciplinary research, combining the knowledge and perspectives of different disciplines, can yield particularly valuable results, provided that it is conducted with the highest ethical standards. Ethics in research is not only a set of moral principles but also a prerequisite for reliable and credible results. Adherence to ethical principles is the responsibility of every researcher, regardless of the field in which he or she is conducting research. Attention to research ethics contributes to the advancement of science, to building public trust in scientists and to promoting cooperation and integration in the scientific community, including in interdisciplinary research.

I note that you are also researching sustainable energy, waste management and other aspects of the green transformation of the economy. I also do research on these issues. I have written and published several scientific articles on this topic. I have described the key issues concerning the problematic of the green transformation of the economy, including the green transformation of the energy sector, in the following article:

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT AS A KEY ELEMENT OF THE PRO-ECOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE ECONOMY TOWARDS GREEN ECONOMY AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Article IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY DEVE...

Thank you very much,

Best wishes,

I would like to invite you to scientific cooperation,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Publishing with Integrity: A Novice Researcher's Guide to Ethical and Credible Academic Publishing

"Ethical and credible publishing of quality research is important for the progression of the medical field. Through proper peer-reviewed work, we advance knowledge, improve clinical practices, and enhance patient outcomes. However, the growing financial incentives tied to academic publications have given rise to a troubling phenomenon: predatory journals and conferences. These unethical phenomena exploit the expectations of novice researchers. Often here is a promise of quick and easy publication which leads authors into the traps reducing the integrity of their academic work. New trainees are vulnerable to these traps. This occurs as the novice trainees lack the experience to distinguish between legitimate opportunities and scams related to academic publishing. The consequences of falling into such traps can be damaging both personally and professionally.

Improving awareness related to predatory publications is crucial to overcome this complex problem. This editorial aims to highlight the burden of predatory publishing scams and offers guidance to researchers on how to identify and avoid them, ensuring that their contributions to the medical field remain credible and impactful."

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388314141_Publishing_with_Integrity_A_Novice_Researcher's_Guide_to_Ethical_and_Credible_Academic_Publishing

Strengthening research integrity through collaboration and innovation

"Integrity is the bedrock of research as every contribution is strengthened by what’s come before. When cracks form – through fraud, misconduct, honest mistakes or ethical lapses – doubt is cast on the scholarly record, diminishing the certainty required to best serve society through policy, innovation and further research...

At Clarivate, we are committed to fostering trust in research. We believe that safeguarding the scholarly record is a shared mission involving everyone engaged in funding, creating, publishing and assessing research. In October 2020, our Institute for Scientific Information published a report encouraging the community to adopt a broad view of what it means to conduct research with integrity and to consider how certain research evaluation instruments and incentive mechanisms are leading to a rise in deviant publication behavior. Four years later, it is clear how much is at stake.

In an era where the scholarly record faces increasing integrity risks, the need for high-quality data derived from rigorously selected sources has never been greater. For over 50 years, we’ve kept research integrity core to our mission, and it continues to drive our priorities as we collaborate with the community to define and implement best practices..."

https://clarivate.com/academia-government/blog/strengthening-research-integrity-through-collaboration-and-innovation/?

https://clarivate.com/academia-government/blog/together-we-innovate-join-the-web-of-science-community-forum/

Fraud, Deception, and Subversion: Recommendations for Maintaining Data Integrity

"Researchers increasingly use online tools to advertise studies, recruit participants, and collect data, enabling access to individuals in remote or rural areas, those with limited mobility, and participants facing time constraints. While online platforms offer significant advantages, online research remains vulnerable to fraudulent activity, which can compromise the validity of study findings and deplete both funding and human resources. This special communication describes the real-world experiences of two research groups, one in Canada and one in the United States, who encountered fraudsters in both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. We conducted a literature review and identified 32 peer-reviewed articles addressing fraudulent participation and deceptive behaviors in online research. Drawing from both our experiences and the literature, we synthesize actionable strategies to prevent, detect, and manage fraud throughout the research process, including study design (e.g. community involvement), advertisement (e.g. limited information), recruitment and screening (e.g. knowledge-based eligibility questions), assessment (e.g. embedding repeated questions), data analysis (e.g. removing fraudulent data), and remuneration (e.g. clarifying reimbursement conditions). Despite the availability of these strategies, each study design presents unique vulnerabilities, and not all approaches are universally applicable. Researchers are encouraged to assess the specific risks associated with their study design and select strategies that align with their study objectives, balancing the need to minimize fraud, recruit genuine participants, and maintain data integrity."

https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(25)00823-8/abstract