Doing research on something can help people understand what meaning lay behind that thing. Research can prove something or completely reject an idea.
But without going through the proper method of research, you can’t actually get to the bottom of the question.
That’s why scientists and researchers have been doing studies to find out the truth about everything.
But what if there is a conflict of interest while doing such a study? This could potentially become a huge problem for the research study.
So which of the following is true about the management of conflicts of interest? I’ll tell you all about it.
Which of the Following Is True About the Management of Conflicts of Interest?
- A project must be funded by an external source in order for any conflicts of interest to be present.
- A financial dimension must be present in order for it to be a conflict of interest.
- Conflicts of interest increase the likelihood of bias.
- Researchers are not permitted to have any conflicts of interest.
And the right answer to this question is actually, Conflicts of interest increase the likelihood of bias.
What Is a Conflict of Interest?
According to the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research or The Code, a conflict of interest means:
“A conflict of interest exists in a situation where an independent observer might reasonably conclude that the professional actions of a person are or may be unduly influenced by other interests. This refers to a financial or non-financial interest which may be a perceived, potential or actual conflict of interest.”
And in the event of a conflict of interest, what researchers are responsible for doing is:
“Disclose and manage actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest.” (The Code, R24)
A conflict of interest in research could mean that the conflict is real or it’s just been perceived. It can also mean that it is just a potential conflict of interest.
Moreover, whatever the case is, any kind of conflict of interest needs to be taken seriously at all times.
Conflicts of Interest: Identifications
Researchers should always be on the lookout for a couple of things in regard to conflicts of interest.
The following things could be defined as one of the conflicts, but they are not limited to only these:
- Financial Interests: This kind of conflict might be about cash, equipment, services, or any other kind of compensation from someone external that could help support the activities of the research.
- Membership of various committees, boards of directors, or advisory group
- Professional Positions
- Consultancies
- Family or personal relationships
The Effects of Conflicts on Research
If there is an event of a conflict of interest, financial or non-financial, among anyone who is part of a research, it could affect the research in many ways like this:
- Analysis, interpretation, and analysis of data
- Sharing of the results
- Choice of statistical methods of protocol
- The hiring of the staff
- Choices of various licensees
- Material procurement
Examples of Conflicts in Research
There are a lot of situations that can create such conflicts of interest. And now, I will give you some examples of such situations:
- A researcher can have a financial interest that involves a company that would sponsor the research.
- A researcher who might have a position as a senior editor with any kind of commercial journal and also is on a library committee of a University that could recommend journal subscriptions.
- A researcher ends up conducting any kind of clinical trial that anyone with financial interest sponsors in the trial results.
These are just some of the examples of such situations, as there could be many other situations like this.
Conclusion
Which of the following is true about the management of conflicts of interest? The answer, among other options, would be, ”Conflicts of interest increase the likelihood of bias.”
