ABSTRACT
Professionals whose activities have the power to impact and influence the lives and work of others, such as teachers and researchers, are expected to demonstrate ethical behavior —behavior that conforms to the principles and standards set by the profession. Although ethical behavior is an important modus operandi for members of any profession, the integrity of researchers is critical to the credibility, and thus value, of their work. Principles of ethical conduct apply to all stages of the research process, including an investigator’s design and implementation of the study, interactions with fellow researchers and participants, and dissemination of the results in presentations or publications. Music education researchers who conduct research with human subjects typically are familiar with standards and requirements for the ethical treatment of their participants, through their engagement with the certification programs run by Institutional Review Boards at their colleges or universities. Issues related to fraudulent or falsified data also are easy to understand. Based on my experiences, I believe that the ethical principles that govern music education research publication and presentation are less well known and understood.
