Dr. Reham Kotb, Health and Sciences dept. HOD, KIC Abu Dhabi talked about common research practices. Her two-hour workshop was intended to increase awareness about research ethics and methodologies.
The ethics segment covered issues related to authorship, proper crediting techniques, plagiarism in its various forms, common don’ts of peer reviews such as discussing the material under review with others and issues related to human-based research. Another important issue to keep in mind is Salami Publications; i.e. when members of the same group submit research based off the same data. The group learned that this is also considered as plagiarism.
The second part of the workshop covered the fundamentals of research methodologies – with many variables that include target populations, objectives, and the various classifications of epidemiologic studies. Before commencing any research, the researcher should assess the project within the F.I.N.E.R. framework – research should be Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant.