Ethics Behind Industry-Funded Research

Many researchers who fail to obtain public funding turn to private companies for sponsorship, giving rise to “industry-sponsored research.” In comparison to publicly funded research, industry-sponsored research often displays more bias. More often than not, findings support sales promotions or generate revenue for sponsor companies. This bias raises questions regarding the ethics of industry-funded research. However, acknowledging the difficulty in obtaining public funding may help mitigate the harmful effects of industry-funded research. Several methods to mitigate the bias prevalent within industry-funded research may guarantee the legitimacy of sponsored reports.

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