History, Ethics and the Presidential Commission on Research in Guatemala
From The Embassy of Good Science
ResourcesCases
History, Ethics and the Presidential Commission on Research in Guatemala
What is this about?
This is a factual case about a medical study that took place in a Guatemalan prison. In this study, experiments into syphilis infection were performed on military personnel, prisoners, asylum inmates, and orphans, without their consent. Rather than giving a detailed description of events, like other reports on this subject have already done, the article reconstructs the research environment that allowed this unethical study to take place.
Why is this important?
To prevent future research misconduct and unethical behaviour it is important to understand which factors make it possible for such practices to take place. In addition and as noted in the article, it is important to do justice not only to the victims of research misconduct but to all those involved, especially when the accused are deceased. When examining past cases of research misconduct it is important to keep in mind the ethical standards at the time the research was conducted, rather than applying our current ethical frameworks to the case. The analysis presented in this article contributes to our understanding of the various aspects of retrospective assessment of research misconduct cases.
