Ethical Issues in Thesis Writing in the Nepali Context: Research Scholars’ and Thesis Supervisors' Perceptions

Abstract

This is an interpretive phenomenological study conducted with the purpose of exploring thesis supervisors’ and research scholars’ perceptions of Research Ethics Education (REE) and exploring how ethics is violated in thesis writing. To fulfil the objectives, three supervisors and six research scholars were chosen purposively from a constituent campus of Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal. For this, an in-depth interview was conducted with the participants, and the feedback files given by the supervisors to the researchers were collected to fulfil the objectives. Later, it was analyzed thoroughly to draw findings. The findings revealed that the supervisors were aware of research ethics and its violation by the scholars. They adopted various strategies to address the issues. They had the practice of pointing out the misconduct, commenting/criticizing on it, making the scholars cautious about the consequences of it, etc. On the other hand, the scholars were found ignorant of research ethics and performed negligence at times. They were unaware of the violation of ethics and the consequences of it.  They wished for flexibility in the evaluation process rather than realizing the threat it poses in academia. It implies that REE in the university curriculum needs to be given more emphasis, and practical evaluation is a must. The university authority, teaching faculty, supervisors, and scholars’ responsiveness might improve the quality of thesis writing in the Nepali context.