Ethics at the Science Fair

ETHICS STATEMENT

Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at any level of research or competition. Such practices include plagiarism, forgery, use of presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own and fabrication of data. Fraudulent projects will fail to qualify for competition at any Eskom Expo events.

1. Plagiarism

What is plagiarism? It can be defined as follows:
To use another person’s words or ideas and to pretend that they are your own. The following are considered as plagiarism:

• To steal or borrow another person’s work.
• To pay another person to write your assignment.
• To copy directly from a source without referencing the original source & without permission from the author(s)
• To use another person’s ideas and build on them withoutgivi ng credit to the original ideas.
• To paraphrase another person’s work word-for-word.
• To present false data (fabricated, altered or borrowed without permission).

The worst form of plagiarism is to do it intentionally:

Plagiarism can also occur unintentionally: when you rewrite another person’s ideas or words in your own words, or use small sections of another person’s writings without acknowledging it as a source.
Fraudulent projects will be disqualified at all Eskom Expo events.

It is compulsory that every participant has a signed copy of the plagiarism form in their file.

2. Ethics

Ethics is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible. Research on micro-organisms, human or animal subjects including surveys, need a form signed by a supervising scientist or teacher giving approval for the project to be done. Any surveys (questionnaires) need another form giving consent
or permission by parents or schools. Both forms need to be filled in the project file in the appendix.

Make sure your project is safe and ethical
Before you start a project, it’s important to know the rules – especially if you’re thinking of using animals, human subjects, hazardous equipment or materials, recombinant DNA or other biotechnological materials. (By the way, “animals” include pets and livestock and humans include family members and students in your class or school.) It’s
heartbreaking to have your project disqualified at any Eskom Expo events because you broke the rules – or maybe even the law! Any research or experiment on potentially hazardous biological agents, animal or human subjects must be done under the supervision of a qualified scientist/laboratory. A signed letter/from the qualified scientist or/and laboratory will be required before participating at any Eskom Expo events.

ETHICS INFRINGEMENTS

Students are encouraged to check their ethical infringements before exhibiting their projects at any Eskom Expo event.
Please note that the following are not allowed on any Eskom Expo project:

• Living organisms including animals, fish, insects and plants
• Agar plates and other growth mediums for microbiology studies
• Human or animal parts including tissues and body fluids (for example blood, urine, hooves, skins etc)
• Dangerous chemicals: Poisons, drugs, medications, controlled substances, hazardous substances and devices (for example firearms, weapons, ammunition, reloading devices, knives and any other sharp instruments)
• Flammable substances
• Photographs or other visual presentation depicting humans or vertebrate animals in surgical techniques, dissections, necropsies or other lab procedures or who belittle people in any way or show animals being harmed in any way
• Brand names or any other branded products
• Food substances that are not in completely sealed containers (plastic wrap is not acceptable as it can easily be removed).
• Water except if in sealed apparatus
• Any apparatus deemed unsafe by the Eskom Expo organisers.

NB:Photographs will be sufficient for judging
3. Safety
All electrical work must conform to the National Electrical Code and Exhibit Halls Regulations. Fire regulations will be strictly enforced. The on-site electrician may be requested to review any electrical work on any project. The safety guidelines presented here are general ones and other rules may apply to specific configurations.
4. Patents

Innovation and Development – Patents and Registered Designs

Some participants display projects that show innovative thinking and provide new products. Expo encourages the development of entrepreneurial projects, which may lead to the marketing of these products.
Participants are advised to obtain legal advice about patent applications before entering their work at any Eskom Expo.
Once a design or product has been on public display, it can NOT be patented. However, if an exhibit is displayed for judges only, no patent rights should be lost.
Refer to following website for more information on how to patent your project. http://patentsearch.cipc.co.za

Source: http://www.exposcience.co.za/index.php/ethics.html