Studying the nature of good behaviour and good research practice is a lifelong mission for any scientist. The Three Tier Model offers a heuristic that simplifies scientific ethics to help junior researchers reflect on the ethical aspects of their work. ## Three domains The core idea behind the Three Tier Model is that research affects three overlapping, but distinct domains: 1. Scientists 2. Research participants 3. Society These three domains all put different ethical constraints on researchers. Below are examples of ethical considerations for each domain. ### Scientists For fellow scientists, it is important that research is done well. This means experiments are performed and documented in such a way that they are replicable, that data is precise and accurate and that communication about research findings is honest and upfront. For the open science movement, such best practices in research also include data sharing, pre-registration and using open tools [^2]. Regardless of whether they subscribe to the open science ethos, all researchers have a committment to improving the body of knowledge, rather than diluting it with low-quality work. ![[Picture1.png]] ### Research participants Participants in research are subject to a different set of ethical requirements, mostly concerning dignity. Lab animals should be treated well and their sacrifice should be justified. Personal information about human participants should be treated with care and compliant with appropriate legislation. Human participants should also give informed consent and if any deception is used, this should be justifiable given the research aims and revealed by post-briefing. At a less obvious level, researchers should also consider how power dynamics influence the relation they have to their participants, and how they can properly work with vulnerable groups. As an example, any research on the nature of medical conditions could be construed by participants as a contribution to a cure. How do you reconcile curiosity-driven research with the risk of giving false hope to patients? ### Societal harm Besides contributing to scientific knowledge, research also influences society. This can be via new technologies, but also by shaping convictions of people. Even if the consequences are not 'as intended' by researchers, they do have responsibility for the impact of their work. [^1]. Any researcher should therefore consider what the potential harms of their research are and how these relate to the potential gains. ## Balancing ethical obligations Identifying ethical considerations is only the first step towards ethical research. The second step is to mitigate ethical problems whenever possible and, subsequently, to balance conflicting ethical considerations. It might be that an experiment can be made more rigorous at the expense of human or animal welfare, for example. Weighing one against the other requires careful consideration: in some cases, a principled objection may be in order, while in others an estimate of the relative harms and gains can be made. In such cases, deliberation by an ethical committee can help fine-tune research design. ## Further reading [^1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01443-2 [^2]: https://www.cos.io/