Promoting ethical research practices: perspectives from pediatric populations

Engaging in research activities can be an enriching aspect of one's professional career. Research serves to advance the knowledge base from which clinical decisions are founded and is the responsibility of all who provide clinical services. That is, developing and advancing this knowledge base is everyone's responsibility, whether as consumers of research or as direct contributors of research. Understanding the ethical issues that embrace the research enterprise is a complementary responsibility of professionals. Conducting research within an ethical framework is essential to maintaining integrity and credibility in science. Opportunities to promote scientific integrity are particularly relevant when conducting or examining research involving children. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the role of research in clinical practice, particularly in an environment with pediatric populations. The article will unfold with three major themes: (1) understanding the value of research in the clinical environment, (2) describing factors that contribute to sound ethical practices, and (3) promoting integrity in research conducted with pediatric populations.