We (researchers) often find ourselves faced with two or more competing interests, creating the perception, if not the reality, of an increased risk of bias or poor judgment.
Dear researchgate members, please provide the suggestions to avoid or overcome these issues.
"A conflict of interest in research exists when the individual has interests in the outcome of the research that may lead to a personal advantage and that might therefore, in actuality or appearance compromise the integrity of the research." NAS, Integrity in Scientific Research
The presence of conflicts of interest poses a problem for professional, patient, and public trust in research and the research enterprise.
What should you do?
Comply with regulations. Researchers should ask about and adhere to institutional and governmental requirements for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest.
Avoid and minimize conflict.
Disclose interests.
Manage conflicts.
Keep learning.
Dear Hassan Izzeddin Sarsak appreciate your viewpoint on the confilicts of interests problem.
I believe we need to open our research to peer review. Our colleagues must be pleased to offer us their insight about everything including conflict of interest. I think we have a sound quality control mechanism by reviewing each other's work.
Dear Yudhi Dharma Nauly appreciate your response on confilict of interest.
Research should be done without bias. If your funding comes from a private company please be extra careful that your results are not in any swayed in favor of a result that the funder might like. Also if you have vested interest or shares in a company be cognizant of that. Avoid any appearance of quid pro quo behavior.
for one burning topic somebody chooses as a research area and other also want same area and methodology then interest of area is in conflict. the area is hot has immediate application is the reason for conflict
Muhammad - During the conduct of research, certain situations arise in which financial or other personal considerations may compromise, or have the appearance of compromising a researcher's professional judgment in conducting or reporting research. There is need for researchers to comply with regulations and adhere to institutional and governmental requirements for identifying, disclosing, and managing conflicts of interest. Conflict of interest in research is very harmful not only for the researcher but also for the organizations or the institutions and must be eliminated at the first instance.
Dear Dr Manzoor Hussain thanks for explaining the organizational or institutional confilicts of interests in research.
Dear Mahavir Balmukund Varma appreciate your viewpoint on the resarch interest or area of research among the researchers.
Dear Muhammad Saad Khan , nice question. You may get some interesting scenario in the following links:
1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2623608
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22926/
Thanks- Rabiul.
With support from any quarter comes the risk of bias towards that,and when financial support,either direct in the form of funding,or indirect in terms of travel,hotel fees etc etc,that risk is clearly increased.
In my opinion,financial support is the largest conflict of interest,but also the most difficult to manage because research,even for relatively small and simple projects,is difficult to find and retain.
I have certanly sat through a few lectures where although the list of conflicts was made clear,the bias during the lecture was quite striking,and in one case led to delegates walking out.
Less obvious bias is hard to discern,and I do think that whilst we do our best not to exhibit or experience bias,it will stay with us.
Dear Rabiul Alam thanks for appreciating the question and provide the relevent case studies on confilict of interests.
I would like to thank all of you who dedicate part of your free time to my question. Your answers stimulate my thinking on the subject. I am also glad to get information from people from various countries of the world.
Besides the financial conflicts in researches, an individual might suffer a conflict of interest if the mission of the institution is not compatible with the personal values. And in spite that it is not possible to avoid all sources of conflicts, it is better if the scientific community recognize these conflicts of interest and take steps to prevent such conflicts by implementing strict rules and polices against those diagnosed cases.
Dear Rajaa A. Mahmoud appreciates your response and agrees with your viewpoint.
Conflicts in research are common. If there is conflict, then one can get a good base and platform to strengthen the argument. To resolve this, one has to sit together, discuss and come to a conclusion of how to proceed and go accordingly.
A researcher must remain unbiased and report all result fairly. Unexpected results are sometimes caused by errors but they could also be new discoveries. It is your responsibility to report all results not just results that agree with some preconceived notion of what you expect the results to show.
To avoid this pitfalls
1. Roles of all participants in the manuscript must be clearly spelt out...
2. Researchers must understand the statement of agreement involved in the grants under which the work is executed...
3. In most cases all grant codes or numbers must be clearly stated and acknowledged...
4. The use of secondary data must be clearly stated and appropriate permission obtained...
If several groups of researchers working in the same field come to very different conclusions, this is not a “conflict of interests”, but a completely normal “working” situation. This is exactly how it is necessary to relate to the current situation and solve scientific contradictions by searching for additional arguments proving the correctness of the results obtained.
To defend the correctness of the conclusions - by connecting the "Authorities-from-Science" - always leads to conflicts - but it does not help to find the right solution.
"A conflict of interest in research exists when the individual has interests in the outcome of the research that may lead to a personal advantage and that might therefore, in actuality or appearance compromise the integrity of the research." NAS, Integrity in Scientific Research
Thank you for clearify the "working situation" and "confilict of interest".
Dear Olusegun Abayomi Olalere thanks for useful advices to avoid confilict of interest.
Dear Muhammad Saad Khan,
A conflict of interest can occur when anyone (researcher or sponsor) has a financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationship with other organizations, or with the people working with them, that could influence your research.
A primary interest, such as the responsibilities of a researcher, may be at risk of being unduly influenced by a secondary interest, such as financial gain or career advancement.
The secondary interest may be financial or non-financial, and the resultant bias may be conscious or unconscious.
Please also go through this article as below,
Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2015 Jun; 8(2): 122–127.
Regards,
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