The Research and Community Service coordination offices of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities & College of Business and Economics have organized a two-day consultation session on ‘Research Ethics’ for the academic staff of Chamo Campus from 18th to 19th June, 2013.

Around 40 participating staff members were welcomed by Community Service Coordinator of College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ato Asnake Menbere.

On the occasion, Director of Research, Dr Fantahun Woldesenbet, has underscored three basic tasks i.e. teaching & learning, research and community service engagement undertaken by Ethiopian public Universities and Arba Minch University as well.

Emphasizing further, he said, ‘‘Arba Minch University has been giving much emphasis on teaching and learning than research and community service. Research and community service are the ways to resolve economic, political and social issues; therefore, we need to get aggressively engaged in that direction.’’

The first day, deliberations were centered on general/conventional format of research proposal formulation and research ethics issues.

Major topics like ‘The basics of applied/basic research proposal formulation’, ‘Ethical Standards in Human and Organizational Research: Principles, Debates, and Controversies’, ‘Ethical Standards in Non-Human Research (Ecological & Animal Research)’ and Ethical Standards for research subjects/beneficiaries and sponsors were covered during the two-day consultation.

Moreover, participants have agreed to have a forum for further engagements through both colleges’ research and community service offices. Ato Alazar Lissanu was the resource person for the consultation.

By Philips Joseph