19-06-2008
In the Opinion on Research Ethics in Biological Sciences, the Commission visits a subject widely debated by scientists as well as by the general public. Several cases of improper conduct in science have been uncovered in the recent past. The roots of the problem seem to be, among else, the way science is organized and conducted in large institutions and the dependence of research on external sponsors. For biological sciences in particular, the effects of improper conduct is more likely to have adverse reactions for society, public health and the environment. In this Opinion the Commission analyzes the issues of ethics in biological sciences recognizing the need for freedom of research but also that society supports science and expects to benefit from it. Freedom of research should be protected but at the same time research should be self-regulated by ethics codes produced by the scientific community. To this end the Commission undertook the task to provide Research Institutions with guidelines for the formulation of their own ethics codes.
Research Ethics Template Code
The Commission in its opinion on Research Ethics for Biological Sciences suggests the adoption of a Research Ethics Code by every Research Institution of the country. In addition, the Commission committed itself to proposing a template of such a Code to assist Research Institutions in fulfilling their task. Here is presented the Template Code of Research Ethics for Biological Sciences. The Commission hopes that this template will be a useful tool for the research community and a starting point for reflection and debate.
Guide to Research Ethics Committees
In its effort to promote the creation of Research Ethics Committees for Biological Research Organizations in Greece - according to the model followed internationally for a number of years now - the National Bioethics Commission produced the following Guide which is expected to assist our research organizations (universities and research centers) to act accordingly. Obviously, the guide is intended only as a general framework of guidelines for the creation and operation of RECs. Each research organization should complete it with more specialized rules depending on its mission and priorities.