Ethics is the study of man's internalization of his understanding of terms such as value, dignity, integrity, fairness, justice, and care among others. These terms are relevant to man in his private as well as public life, in official and unofficial settings. Man must realize that he interacts with others either on one-on-one basis or through other materials, which include recorded voice, written documents, speeches made, interviews granted, and the like. He must take cognizance of his sense of morality therefore or become immoral, that is using people solely to achieve his purpose, or worse still degenerate to being amoral. Where a researcher is indifferent to the impact of his work on others, his research base or benefactors, he is an egoist. In order to assist the researcher, journalist, teacher, etc. every organization, institute, corporation, etc. must have laid down rules generally referred to as “code of conduct.” These must be binding on all members, serving as a guide to members' behaviors in their day-to-day interactions.
The norms of authorship credit: Challenging the definition of authorship in The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
