Ethical conundrums in research

Several ethical concerns are central to the field of medical research. A sampling of these ethical conundrums include fraudulent data, publication bias, conflict of interest, IRB compliance, and confidentiality. In this article we attempt to highlight some of the components central to these areas of concern. In doing so we hope to generate discussion regarding some of the main areas of ethical concern in dermatologic and scientific bench side research. Additionally, we suggest that the use of journal publications, presentations, and training sessions, in concert with the development of dermatoethics courses as components of dermatology residency program curricula, can be used to maintain the academic discourse on ethics and minimize the risk of ethical conflict in the field of dermatologic research. These efforts will serve to maintain the quality and integrity of research on skin diseases.