COI for the Researcher

Researchers are considered significant stakeholders in the research process as they are regarded as being educated and professional.  Their activities may represent benefits to their person through perks, salary and fringe benefits, their roles also extend to the greater community where they are involved in organizations and projects. In addition, researchers are also educators and have duties towards their students, colleagues, and collaborators. The main objective of the researcher is to answer their research question as outlined in their research proposal, yet simultaneously uphold ethical responsibilities (Cruzer and Santillanes, 2012). In other words, researchers need to protect the interest of their research participants in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki declaration. This can become troublesome when other interests interfere or compromise the researcher’s primary objective to answer the research question (Cruzer and Santillanes, 2012). Unfortunately, conflicts of interest can threaten all aspects of research, including the research design, recruitment, analysis, peer review and grant applications. Specifically, COIs can arise when they receive advances from the industry, including career promotions and consulting fees. On a social level these can include responding to peer, administrative pressures and forming friendships – COIs occurs when duties or interests clash.

Examples of COI for the researcher

  • A researcher, who is part of an SGC,  conducts a clinical trial which is sponsored by any person or organisation with a financial interest in the results of the trial.
  • A researcher has a financial interest in the company sponsoring the research. This conflict of interest would be further exacerbated if the value of the researcher’s interest may be affected by the outcome of the research.
  • A researcher takes part in the negotiation of a contract between the University and a company, where the researcher or his or her family or a close personal friend has a financial or non-financial interest (e.g. a directorship) in that company.
  • A researcher or a related body in which the researcher has an affiliation or a financial interest may benefit, directly or indirectly, from dissemination of research results in a particular way (including any unwarranted delay in or restriction upon publication of such results).
  • (University of South Australia)

List all:

  •  Sources of financial support you and your co-authors receive currently and/or have received in the past that may be considered as posing a conflict to your research objectives. These need not be just the support you receive for the research you are trying to publish now but any other grants/funds that you receive for other projects currently or in the past.
  • Any social or personal activities/interests or relationships that may be considered to influence how you conduct your research.

Review:

  • Any institutional ties you may have in the present or have had in the recent past (where you worked/volunteered, etc.) that can be said to affect your objectivity in your work as a reviewer.
  •  And comply with all the guidelines provided by committee on what they define as conflicts of interest and how they want authors to disclose them. Some journals provide form templates to declare conflicts of interest, which need to be filled out and signed by all co-authors.
  • Potential for conflicts and ways to deal with them are constantly evolving. Keep yourself updated and seek out new information.

There are also instances when a researcher proposes a study where they, as the researcher, are receiving funding from a vested interest, or there is some other non-financial COI. In these cases, how does the REC manage the situation?