When something from your personal or private life influences — or appears to influence — your duties as a researcher, you may have entered a conflict of interest.
Having a conflict of interest does not imply that anyone has necessarily done anything wrong; however, researchers should identify, disclose and manage conflicts in a timely, open, forthright, constructive and accountable manner to preserve the integrity of the people and processes involved in their research.
Some conflicts of interest are permissible, while others that cannot be appropriately managed are prohibited. Failure to disclose and manage any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest is a form of research misconduct; it erodes the public’s confidence in the ability of researchers to make professional judgments without bias.
Each researcher plays a role in protecting the reputation and maintaining the integrity of their research by mitigating the potential for, or existence of, conflicts of interest.
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