Reason About Ethical Issues in Research Practice Test

A chemistry lab is testing an inhaled aerosol drug intended to improve oxygenation in patients with mild asthma. The principal investigator (PI) tells a graduate student, “If we list every possible adverse effect, no one will enroll.” The consent form mentions “temporary throat irritation” but omits that earlier pilot observations included rare bronchospasm requiring rescue medication. Participants are otherwise competent adults and are paid a small stipend. Which action best aligns with ethical research practices regarding informed consent?

A physics-focused biomedical lab measures a new MRI pulse sequence’s heating effect by tracking temperature changes in a gel phantom that mimics tissue conductivity. After several runs, the data show no improvement over the standard sequence. The postdoc thinks the result will jeopardize a grant renewal and says, “I’ll smooth the outliers and adjust a few points so the trend looks cleaner—same conclusion we expected anyway.” The PI is not present when the postdoc edits the spreadsheet. How should the researcher proceed to maintain ethical integrity regarding data handling?