Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research: 2014 Update·

For publication in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (IJSM), studies involving human participants or animals must have been conducted in accordance with recognised ethical standards and national/international laws. At the very first submission stage, authors are required to confirm that these standards and laws have been adhered to by reading, and formally citing, this editorial within the methods section of their own manuscript. Authors who do not provide any information regarding ethical approval will have their manuscripts rejected before it enters the peer-review process, without any option to resubmit.

In the original 2009 IJSM editorial [3], we described the ethical considerations embedded into national/international laws and provided specific guidance on the ethical issues which commonly arise in Sports Medicine research. In 2011, this information was updated to recognise the ethical principles of other professional associations and treaties when conducting research involving human participants [4]. Additional information was also provided on the use of Laboratory Animals in research, and on the links between sample size and research ethics. In our new update for 2014 onwards, we elaborate on,

• A. The ethical issues relating to the investigation of doping agents

• B. The use of animals for answering research questions that appear to be solely focussed on the enhancement of athletic performance

• C. Sample size and the issue of the burden to individual research participants.

• References

• 1 Bacchetti P, Wolf LE, Segal MR, McCulloch CE. Ethics and sample size. Am J Epidemiol 2005; 161: 105-110
• 2 Declaration of Helsinki. World Medical Association. Available at http://www.wma.net/e/ethics unit/helsinki.htm
• 3 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. International Journal of Sports Medicine – ethical standards in sport and exercise science research. Int J Sports Med 2009; 30: 701-702
• 4 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. Update – ethical standards in sport and exercise science research. Int J Sports Med 2011; 32: 819-821
• 5 Hopkins WG, Marshall SW, Batterham AM, Hanin J. Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 3-12
• 6 Howman D. Scientific research using elite athletes: WADA point of view. J Appl Physiol 2013; 114: 1365
• 7 Hughes J, Hunter D, Sheehan M, Wilkinson SD, Wrigley A, Hughes J. European textbook on ethics in research. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union; 2010: 203
• 8 Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, National Research Council . Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press; 1996: 140
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• 10 Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, National Research Council . Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals – report in brief. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 2010. Available at http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materials-based-on-reports/­special-products/guide_lab_animals_final.pdf
• 11 International Sociological Association, Code of Ethics . Madrid: International Sociological Association; 2001. Available at http://www.isa-sociology.org/about/isa_code_of_ethics.htm
• 12 Kregel KC. Resource book for the design of animal exercise protocols. Committee to develop an American physiological society resource book for the design of animal exercise protocols. Available via http://www.the-aps.org/pa/action/exercise/book.pdf Accessed 24 October 2013
• 13 Medical Research Council . MRC ethics series: Good research practice 2005. London: Medical Research Council; 2005: 1-16
• 14 Shephard RJ. Ethics in exercise science research. Sports Med 2002; 32: 169-183
• 15 The American Psychological Association . Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Am Psychol 2002; 57: 1060-1073
• 16 World Anti Doping Code. World Anti Doping Agency. Available at http://stage.wada-ama.org/Documents/World_Anti-Doping_­Program/WADP-The-Code/WADA_Anti-Doping_CODE_2009_EN.pdf