[Air-L] Ethics and grad students

[McLaughlin, Lisa M. Dr.]

This question addresses an important, and, in my opinion, most troubling question. To directly respond to the question, our human subjects protocol requires that the student who is conducting the master's/doctoral research be listed as the chief investigator, although this isn't necessary to prove in order to graduate with the degree. The most aggregious ethical problem, it seems to me, is that it's become business-as-usual among faculty members to put their names on any publications which come out of 'their' graduate students' research. This is 'because, after all, I contributed to the publication by chairing the thesis/dissertation', to quote a friend with whom I disagreed about this practice.

I have heard that this is a common practice in the hard sciences and sometimes the social sciences. But, I have to take exception to faculty members' hijacking of research which is largely or mostly conducted by graduate students. Actually, I was a bit blind-sided to hear that this might be a common practice. One excuse by some faculty members: that having their (obviously 'known') names on the article submission would help to launch 'their' graduate student to the top; often, it's seemed to me that this practice is more of a case of graduate students' work allowing some faculty members to seem to be producing more research.

I'd be interested in others' opinions on this issue (m-h included). I have been accused of being too entrenched in my view, and I welcome feedback if that's the case.

All the best,

Lisa
(to sort of 'place' myself, I'm an associate professor with a joint appointment in media studies and women's studies)
________________________________________
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org [air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of mhward [mhward at usyd.edu.au]
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 8:02 PM
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: [Air-L] Ethics and grad students

Something that I'm not clear about - and an international perspective on
this issue...

At my university in Australia, where I am enrolled as a PhD candidate, the
ethics application for my PhD project listed my main supervisor as the chief
investigator, and then me as another investigator. I believe this is common
here. If there is any comeback from a participant I am well protected,
provided I continue to discuss what I am doing with my supervisor and not go
outside the bounds of the original ethics approval without applying for an
extension to that.

I notice a couple of comments (see below for one) about the situation for
grad students (I assume in the US as no detail is given) which seem to imply
that this is not the case elsewhere.

Can anyone clarify?

M-H




On 15/8/07 9:40 AM, "Lois Ann Scheidt" <lscheidt at indiana.edu> wrote:


> Gray said that "IRB fatigue" is discouraging researchers - especially
> graduate students - from even trying to get projects approved. * * *
>
> http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/08/14/soc

_______________________________________________
The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org
Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org

Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
http://www.aoir.org/