Development of Nursing Professionals through Continuation of Research:

Focusing on Researcher Ethics

Abstract

For nursing researchers to develop as nursing professionals, research must be conducted autonomously. The author was faced with various problems in research ethics while working on the research of researcher ethics after enrolling in a doctoral program. The author reflected on these situations using the “Self-Evaluations Scale on Ethical Behaviors for Nursing Researchers”, which the author developed for the authors dissertation. After completing the program, the author also used the developed scale to measure the quality of ethical behavior of nursing researchers, and to identify the current status of ethical behavior and related factors. The results showed that the quality of research ethical behavior was higher among nursing professionals who continued to conduct research and publish the research results they produced. This paper uses the research findings to reflect on the author’s own research activities. In addition, demonstration of responsible behavior based on one’s own will and the constant pursuit of truth are essential for nursing researchers to develop as nursing professionals.