Chapter 3. What Do We Mean by “Research Standards”? A Layered Model
When researchers ask “what are the research standards in country X?” they are usually asking several different questions at once. It is helpful to think of standards as operating in layers.
| Layer | What it covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. International norms | Shared ethical principles and integrity standards | Declaration of Helsinki, CIOMS guidelines, Belmont Report, Singapore Statement on Research Integrity [1][2][3][4] |
| 2. National law and regulation | Legal requirements binding on everyone | Data protection laws, biodiversity laws, immigration rules, security and defamation laws [17][19][21][22] |
| 3. Government research permission | Permits for foreign or sensitive research | Indonesia’s BRIN foreign research permit, Thailand’s national research council permission [20] |
| 4. Institutional rules | Universities, hospitals and research institutes | Institutional review boards, research ethics committees, integrity policies |
| 5. Funder and sponsor rules | Conditions attached to money | Data management plans, open access, ethical review, safeguarding |
| 6. Journal and publisher standards | Publication ethics | ICMJE criteria, COPE guidance, journal policies [11][12] |
| 7. Community and customary norms | Local expectations of respect and reciprocity | Village leaders’ permission, adat, consent from Indigenous authorities [7][8] |
Why layers matter. A project may satisfy international ethics principles and still violate a national permit rule, or follow the law yet offend a community. Conversely, a community’s approval does not replace legally required ethical review. The strongest practice is to meet or exceed the highest applicable standard at every layer.
Equivalence is not identity. Ethical review committees in the region vary in maturity, workload and procedures. Some are accredited by international networks such as the Forum for Ethical Review Committees in the Asian and Western Pacific Region (FERCAP) [15]; some countries have detailed national guidelines (for example, the Philippines’ national health research ethics guidelines [16]); others rely on institutional procedures. Do not assume that approval from your home institution makes local review unnecessary, or that local review is a mere formality.
Differences by field. Biomedical and clinical research is usually the most regulated; social science and humanities research may be less formally regulated in some countries but can be more politically sensitive; environmental and biodiversity research often involves special permits for access to biological resources; and digital research raises data protection and security issues.
Standards of quality. “Standards” also include methodological quality: valid measurement, appropriate sampling, transparency and rigour. Research that meets legal requirements but is poorly designed wastes participants’ time and trust [45][46].
Principles that apply everywhere: respect for persons, beneficence (doing good and avoiding harm), justice (fair distribution of burdens and benefits), honesty, accountability and respect for local knowledge and communities [3][6][62].
A practical rule. Early in planning, write a one-page “standards map” for each country: which laws apply, which agencies must approve, which ethics committees will review, what the funder requires, what the community expects, and the likely timeline. Revisit it as the project develops.
Reflection: Create a draft standards map for one country in your study.