Student researchers, as well as adults who have a role in their projects, are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards. These include, but are not limited to:
- Integrity. Honesty, objectivity, and avoidance of conflicts of interest are expected during every phase of the research. The project should reflect independent research done by the student(s), and represent only one year’s work. The project should reflect independent research done by the student(s) and presented in their own words with proper citation, most particularly if artificial intelligence is used. The project may only represent one year of work and must not include fraudulent data, plagiarism or inappropriate use of AI in presenting work that is not their own.
- Legality. Compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations is essential. All projects must be approved by a Scientific Review Committee (SRC), and when necessary must also be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).
- Respect for Confidentiality and Intellectual Property. Confidential communications, as well as patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property, must be honored. Unpublished data, methods, or results may not be used without permission, and credit must be given to all contributions to research.
- Stewardship of the Environment. It is the responsibility of the researcher and the adults involved to protect the environment from harm. Introduction or disposal of non-native, genetically altered, and/or invasive species, (e.g., insects, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates), pathogens, toxic chemicals, or foreign substances into the environment is prohibited. It is recommended that students reference their local, state laws, regulations, and quarantine lists, including if considering using “catch and release” fishing procedures.
- Animal Care. Proper care and respect must be given to vertebrate animals. The guiding principles for the use of animals in research includes the following “Four Rs”: Replace, Reduce, Refine, and Respect.
- Human Participant Protection. The highest priority is the health and well-being of the student researcher(s) and human participants.
- Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents (PHBAs). It is the responsibility of the student and adults involved in the project to conduct and document a risk assessment and to safely handle and dispose of organisms and materials.