Ethics guidelines for environmental epidemiologists: 2023 revision

Ruth A Etzel; Nivine H Abbas; Michael P Anastario; Adetoun Mustapha; Olayinka Osuolale; Atanu Sarkar; Ireneous N Soyiri; Emile Whaibeh; Colin L Soskolne

doi:10.1097/EE9.0000000000000299

Ethics guidelines for environmental epidemiologists: 2023 revision

Environ Epidemiol. 2024 Mar 12;8(2):e299. doi: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000299. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

Ruth A Etzel¹, Nivine H Abbas², Michael P Anastario³, Adetoun Mustapha⁴, Olayinka Osuolale⁵, Atanu Sarkar⁶, Ireneous N Soyiri⁷, Emile Whaibeh⁸, Colin L Soskolne⁹

Affiliations

¹ Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
² Public Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Balamand, Balamand, Lebanon.
³ Department of Health Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.
⁴ Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Biological Sciences, Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Nigeria.
⁶ Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
⁷ Faculty of Health Sciences, Hull York Medical School, Institute for Clinical and Applied Health Research, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom.
⁸ Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
⁹ University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

Recognition of the importance to environmental epidemiology of ethical and philosophical deliberation led, in 1996, to the establishment of Ethics Guidelines for the profession. In 1999, these guidelines were adopted by the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. The guidelines were revised in 2012 and again in 2023 to ensure continued relevance to the major issues facing the field. Comprising normative standards of professional conduct, the guidelines are structured into four subsections: (1) obligations to individuals and communities who participate in research; (2) obligations to society; (3) obligations regarding funders/sponsors and employers; and (4) obligations to colleagues. Through the 2023 revision of the Ethics Guidelines, the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology seeks to ensure the highest possible standards of transparency and accountability for the ethical conduct of environmental epidemiologists engaged in research and public health practice.

Keywords: Accountability; Community engagement; Community-based participatory research; Conflict of interest; Institutional review board; Normative standards of practice; Professional standards.