Professional Practice & Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real STP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Practice & Ethics flashcards as text
A scientist is asked to provide an expert witness statement for a legal case. What is their primary duty?
Answer: To provide an objective, independent opinion to the court
Expert witnesses owe their primary duty to the court, not to the instructing party, and must give an honest, objective, and independent opinion.
What does 'beneficence' require of a healthcare researcher?
Answer: Actively promoting the wellbeing of participants and maximising benefits of the research
Beneficence requires researchers to act in the best interests of participants and society by maximising benefits while minimising risks.
A scientist working in the NHS wants to share de-identified patient data with an overseas collaborator. What must they consider first?
Answer: Whether the destination country has adequate data protection standards under UK GDPR
UK GDPR restricts international data transfers to countries with adequate protection levels or requires appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.
The Research Governance Framework in the UK requires that all research carried out within the NHS has:
Answer: Appropriate ethics approval and NHS/HSC R&D permission before it commences
Research in the NHS requires both ethics committee approval and NHS/HSC Research and Development permission before it can begin.
A trainee healthcare scientist makes a clinical error that causes minor patient harm. What is the ethical obligation?
Answer: Disclose the error to the patient, report it through incident reporting, and reflect on learning
Openness and honesty (the 'duty of candour') requires that patients are told about errors that affect them, and incidents are formally reported for learning.
Which of the following scenarios represents a 'conflict of commitment' rather than a conflict of interest?
Answer: Holding a directorship in a company while holding a full-time NHS post that demands equivalent time
A conflict of commitment arises when outside activities compete with the time and effort owed to the primary employer, distinct from financial conflicts of interest.
What is the role of the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) in relation to scientific misconduct?
Answer: To provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations on research integrity matters
UKRIO provides independent advice, resources, and guidance to support institutions in maintaining research integrity; investigations remain the responsibility of individual institutions.