Research ethical challenges in cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural health research: The diversity of codes

The scope of health research has increased considerably during the last three to four decades, both geographically and regarding the range of disciplines participating in biomedical research. In other words cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary projects are much more common in the World's biomedical research of today. For the large part that involves human research subjects, ethics based on fundamental human values is still an integrated part of project planning and management. However, in the light of the increasing complexity of research, the controlling codes (i.e. laws, declarations, conventions and guidelines) have undergone important changes and have increased considerably in numbers. Hence, groups from different disciplines and cultures need to adjust their projects' research ethical policies and implementations in accordance with the various codes' common denominators. Sometimes research ethical codes are even incompatible at certain points. The article describes key ethical aspects of cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary projects, with special emphasis on acquiring consent, avoiding harm, attending to needs, and describing the obligations when a project is over. On this background the authors conclude that researchers in the planning phase of a project should: 1) seek knowledge and professional advice related to the transgression of cultural and disciplinary borders, 2) introduce a longterm perspective for a project's activities and consequences, and 3) select the appropriate among the existing many ethical codes. These suggestions apply to several stakeholders: researchers, scientific societies, agencies for scientific support, information and ethical control, as well as research political agencies.