Ethics in Research as a Discipline

The expanse of research in academic circles and organizations and vulnerabilityof research morality underlines the need for morality in research. The main focus of the present paper is to study the epistemic dimensions of a discipline that is capable of analyzing ethical issues of research within a specific theoretical framework and methodology. The main hypothesis of the present paper is: it is possible to achieve ethics in research as a discipline with definite epistemic dimensions. The methodology to test the hypothesis is logical analysis on the basis of the model of scientology which has been prevalent among the Muslim scholars over the recent centuries, that is, the model of Principlists’ scientology. On the basis of this model, ethics in research goes beyond ethical recommendations and through its definite objectives, resources, approaches and methodology provides an opportunity for proper understanding and effective solution of ethical issues. Thus, encountering ethical problems through individual trial and error and taking temporary stances towards such problems would be replaced with a methodological and scientific analysis. The establishment of such a discipline can promote preventive programs and cure of ethical ailments in research and can also expand programs for promotion of ethics among researchers and research institutes.