Research Ethics

Purpose

Together for a Better Tomorrow (TBT) exists to advance collaborative, community-centered research that benefits both the communities we partner with and the academic work of our faculty, students, and collaborators. Our partnerships create long-term, community-based research spaces that support evidence-driven projects, capacity-building for local leaders, and actionable plans that address environmental health, resilience, and sustainability.

This document outlines the principles, expectations, and shared commitments between TBT and our community partners to ensure that all work reflects the highest ethical, cultural, and scholarly standards.

Background

TBT’s mission is to work side-by-side with communities to address critical environmental, health, and social challenges. We focus on protecting natural and built environments, promoting access to healthy living conditions, and reducing environmental burdens. We believe meaningful change requires early and ongoing engagement with community partners to identify priorities, co-develop research approaches, and ensure that outcomes are both scientifically sound and locally relevant.

Roles and Responsibilities of TBT

To uphold our commitments, TBT’s principal investigators, staff, and student researchers agree to:

1. Maintain ethical research practices
   Follow all requirements of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and other relevant ethical guidelines to ensure participant protection and respect for community values.
2. Use a participatory process
   Involve community partners in setting research objectives, determining methods, and interpreting results. Train and engage partners in data collection, analysis, and communication of findings.
3. Share data in aggregate form
   Data collected within communities will be shared in aggregate form and co-owned with partners, as allowed by institutional IRBs. Access, presentation, and interpretation will be done collaboratively to ensure mutual understanding and benefit.
4. Recognize contributions
   Invite partners to review materials prior to publication or public presentation and acknowledge them as co-authors or contributors when appropriate.
5. Be accessible and responsive
   Maintain open communication and strive to respond to partner inquiries within 48 hours. Participate in community events whenever possible, with reasonable notice.

Roles and Responsibilities of Community Partners

By entering into this agreement, community partners agree to:

1. Designate a primary contact to coordinate communications and logistics.
2. Facilitate connections with individuals, groups, and networks relevant to the project.
3. Collaborate on activities including meetings, data collection, and outreach.
4. Assist with logistics such as securing meeting spaces and notifying participants.
5. Track and share progress through meeting notes, updates, and other communications.

Funding

TBT is committed to dedicating all efforts toward building support and funding mechanisms that directly benefit the communities in which we operate. We will actively work to identify, pursue, and secure resources that strengthen community capacity, advance locally defined goals, and ensure that benefits are sustained beyond the life of individual projects.

In the Together for a Better Tomorrow (TBT) program, authorship on peer-reviewed abstracts, posters, and publications is both a way to recognize intellectual contributions and a reflection of the shared responsibility for our work. Authorship must accurately represent the contributions made to the final product, ensuring that credit and accountability are fairly assigned.

Because TBT operates across disciplines and works closely with community and academic partners, expectations for authorship may differ between fields. These guidelines help ensure that authorship decisions remain consistent, transparent, and equitable while supporting the production of high-quality scholarship that advances TBT’s mission.

Purpose

Scientific integrity is central to TBT’s work, from environmental sampling and data analysis to policy and community engagement. Clear authorship criteria help safeguard that integrity, give proper credit, and ensure that research benefits both the academic community and the communities we serve.

Criteria for Authorship

Consistent with standards from professional organizations, TBT recognizes an author as someone who has made substantial contributions to the research. All four of the following must be met:

1. Significant involvement in the conception, design, analysis, or interpretation of the work.
2. Participation in drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
3. Approval of the final version for publication.
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Order of Authorship

Authorship order should be discussed and agreed upon early in the project. The lead author will take primary responsibility for the manuscript, serve as the corresponding author during submission and review, and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data before public dissemination.

Acknowledgments