STP Professional Practice & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A scientist discovers a minor error in a published paper after it has been cited 50 times. What is the most appropriate course of action?
- Ignore it since it has already been widely cited
- Contact the journal editor to issue a correction (Correct answer)
- Retract the paper immediately without consultation
- Publish a new paper contradicting the old one
Correct answer: Contact the journal editor to issue a correction
The appropriate action is to notify the journal editor so a formal correction or erratum can be issued, maintaining the integrity of the scientific record.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the principle of 'non-maleficence' in research ethics?
- Maximising benefits to participants
- Treating all participants equally
- Avoiding harm to participants (Correct answer)
- Respecting participants' autonomy
Correct answer: Avoiding harm to participants
Non-maleficence means 'do no harm' and requires researchers to avoid causing unnecessary harm to participants or the public.
Question 3: During a clinical trial, an interim analysis reveals unexpected serious adverse events. What should the principal investigator do first?
- Complete the trial and report findings at the end
- Immediately inform the ethics committee and regulatory authorities (Correct answer)
- Reduce the dose for all participants without reporting
- Consult only with the funding body before taking action
Correct answer: Immediately inform the ethics committee and regulatory authorities
Unexpected serious adverse events must be immediately reported to the ethics committee and regulatory authorities to protect participant safety.
Question 4: A colleague asks you to list them as a co-author on a paper despite their only contribution being providing lab space. What should you do?
- Add them as co-author to maintain good working relations
- Decline and offer acknowledgement instead (Correct answer)
- Add them but list them last
- Report them to the institution immediately
Correct answer: Decline and offer acknowledgement instead
Authorship requires a substantive intellectual contribution; providing only lab space warrants acknowledgement, not co-authorship.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in a clinical trial?
- To manage the trial budget
- To independently review accumulating data and recommend stopping if necessary (Correct answer)
- To recruit participants to the trial
- To publish interim results to the public
Correct answer: To independently review accumulating data and recommend stopping if necessary
A DSMB independently reviews accumulating safety and efficacy data and can recommend early termination to protect participants.
Question 6: A researcher in the STP is offered a paid consultancy by a company whose product they are evaluating in their NHS work. What must they do?
- Accept quietly if the amount is below £1,000
- Decline automatically as all outside work is prohibited
- Declare the potential conflict of interest to their line manager and follow local policy (Correct answer)
- Consult only the company's legal team
Correct answer: Declare the potential conflict of interest to their line manager and follow local policy
Conflicts of interest must be declared to the employing organisation, which will apply its policy to determine whether the arrangement is permissible.
Question 7: Which document underpins ethical conduct in research involving human participants in the UK?
- The Nuremberg Code only
- The Health Research Authority (HRA) standards and the Declaration of Helsinki (Correct answer)
- The Freedom of Information Act
- The Companies Act
Correct answer: The Health Research Authority (HRA) standards and the Declaration of Helsinki
HRA standards, informed by the Declaration of Helsinki and UK legislation, provide the framework for ethical research involving human participants in the UK.
STP Professional Practice & Ethics 2
A scientist discovers a minor error in a published paper after it has been cited 50 times.
What is the most appropriate course of action?