Search

The yearning for discovering and investigating has always been in human beings' minds in a natural way. Unfortunately, this interest is distorted when researchers lose their original objectives and, in the rush for advancing in their works, they perform improper actions that threaten the integrity of the individuals under investigation. In order to bring balance to this situation, bioethics can help to establish the boundaries and, specially, create a consciousness among researchers to act within the limits established and make no harm to the living beings investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the relationship between ethical and political compromise and the social sciences. The author comments on the moral and ethical aspects involved in social science research and researchers. He also considers the process of scientific research, including its theorization, evaluation, and methodology. A comparison is made between the ethical characteristics in science and politics, the latter of which depends on power to thrive. Particular focus is given to the field of social anthropology.

According to epidemiologic reports, the harmful use of alcohol and illicit drugs has increased among the Mexican population. This use is associated to several risks and issues that affect public health and the public well-being of the country. In this article it is acknowledged the need for development of treatment models and interventions whose therapeutic value is demonstrated by scientific evidence, that respond to the attention needs of the population affected by substance use in our country and that can be generalized in community clinical practice. In clinical research, randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT's) are the "gold standard" to demonstrate the effect of a therapeutic intervention. A randomized controlled clinical trial is a prospective study in which the effect, value and safety of one or various experimental interventions are tested against a "control" intervention in human subjects. Acknowledging that in Mexico there is a lack of research on addiction treatment that is compliant with all the requirements to be considered as an RCT, this article presents some methodological and ethical considerations that are neccesary for their design and conduction. These considerations include from the establishment of a relevant research question and objectives, adequate study design, development of strategies for data management, statistical analysis, monitoring of interventions, safety monitoring and research quality assurance and protection of human subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Publishing a research is one of the most important achievements for a researcher, since it is one of the tools to evaluate his scientific work. This achievement has a three-dimensional commitment: the personal commitment, the commitment with the population from which the data were obtained, and the commitment to the institution where he works. Therefore, publishing in the Revista Médica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social should be a priority and an honor for a researcher of this Institution, since he is working with it to provide solutions to medical problems that affect their beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]