CSSP joins BRET, gains insights on ethical research

Ensuring research participants' and their community's welfare while maintaining excellence in social science research—this was the focus of the 2024 Basic Research Ethics Training (BRET), organized by the CSSP Ethics Review Board (CSSP ERB) on November 11 to 12, 2024 at Palma Hall 207, University of the Philippines Diliman. The two-day training was attended by the faculty, REPS, and staff of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP). 

Day one of BRET was facilitated by Professor Emeritus Ma. Cecilia C. Gastardo-Conaco from UP Diliman’s Department of Psychology, while Assistant Professor Atoy M. Navarro from UP Manila facilitated day two. 

On the first day, Prof. Conaco emphasized the qualities of an ethical researcher. She stated that an ethical researcher is mindful of potential issues that may compromise participants’ involvement in the research. To protect the participants, researchers must assess the risk-benefit ratio of their studies. Prof. Conaco also highlighted the importance of undergoing an ethics review before data collection to ensure ethical and technically sound methodologies.

Highlights of day two included discussions on ethical misconduct, international guidelines on biomedical health research ethics, local ethics guidelines, and ethical conduct of historical research. During the open forum, the need for disciplinal guidelines specific to each social science discipline within CSSP was raised to standardize the assessment of research ethics. 

CSSP ERB’s Chairperson Associate Professor Diwa Malaya A. Quiñones expressed optimism that the recently concluded BRET would reinforce the college’s commitment to research ethics. Emphasizing the importance of ethics review, Chair Quiñones reiterated that following the office’s review protocols is not merely about compliance, but is essential for safeguarding both the researchers and the participants.

Going forward, the CSSP ERB office will continue to protect the safety, rights, and welfare of human participants and affected communities in social research, while taking into account the interests and needs of researchers. The annual BRET reflects the office’s dedication to upholding its mandates and responsibilities within CSSP. 

The CSSP ERB office hopes that the CSSP community will continue to support similar future initiatives of our ERB aimed towards ensuring the ethical conduct of research by members of our college.