Assessing Perceptions of Research Ethics in Higher Education Institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan
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Background. The current study aimed to assess the level of perceptions, attitudes, and awareness regarding research ethics among faculty members and postgraduate students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan.
Methods. The research was conduct in HEIs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, from August 2024 to January 2025. The study design was cross sectional. After obtaining ethical approval, about 245 participants were enrolled through convenience sampling. The data collection tool was a structured questionnaire reviewed by subject experts having questions related to perceptions of informed consent, attitudes towards research ethics, and views about university ethical committees. Data was analyzed using SPSS V. 22 where frequencies and percentages were calculated for summary statistics. For inferential statistics, chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied for association between demographic and outcome variables.
Results. Majority of the participants were males (68%) and had a Master’s degree with age range from 25-34(62%) years. Regarding perceptions of informed consent, about 93.9% expressed positive perceptions, 49.8% reported favorable attitudes towards research ethics, while 75.5% viewed research ethics committees positively. Significant association was observed between gender and attitudes towards research ethics (p = .031) along with perceptions of research ethics committees (p = .008). Age was also significantly correlated (p < .001) with attitudes towards research ethics, whereas those receiving ethical training exhibited better awareness (p < .001), attitudes (p < .001), perceptions of informed consent (p = .019), and ethics committees (p < .001).
Conclusion:.The current study broadly highlighted a positive understanding of research ethics and participant perceptions. However, the key area highlighted required improvement and targeted approaches in context of attitudes and perceptions of ethical committees. By arranging trainings through institutional support, the culture of research ethics, individual perceptions, and ethical compliance can be positively reinforced
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