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Identifying conflict of interests

 

‘Conflict of interests’ (COI) occurs when there are secondary interests that could compromise one’s professional judgement regarding his / her primary interest and obligations in a particular role. (1)  

  • A researcher’s primary interest should be in the generation of knowledge through methods that are scientifically and ethically sound.
  • Secondary interests are commonly attributed to personal financial gains, although other non-financial interests are equally important to consider.

Thompson DF. Understanding Financial Conflicts of Interest. New England Journal of Medicine. 1993 Aug 19;329(8):573–6. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199308193290812

One way to identify a COI is to:

“Ask yourself whether an outside observer, aware of your personal or private interests, would question your ability to make objective decisions about the research.”

(Quoted from: TCPS2: CORE, Module 7: Conflict of interest) (2)


This is regardless of whether a secondary interest has actually compromised your professional judgement or not, because such effects are often very difficult, if not impossible, to rule out completely. 



The impact of COIs →

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Queen’s University at Kingston. Module 7: Conflict of Interest. In: TCPS 2: CORE (Course on Research Ethics) [Internet]. Government of Canada; Available from: https://tcps2core.ca/welcome