You have an opportunity to lead an interdisciplinary research team in a new area outside your areas of competence. To stay compliant with the ethics code, you may

You have an opportunity to lead an interdisciplinary research team in a new area outside your areas of competence. To stay compliant with the ethics code, you may

• A. Accept with no additional training
• B. Accept with minimal supervision
• C. Hire someone else to lead
• D. Decline the offer

Answer: (D)

Staying within your current level of competence is essential. Ethics codes require you to provide services and lead research only in areas where you have adequate education, training, and experience. When a new, interdisciplinary area lies outside what you’re trained for, you can’t ethically guarantee quality, safety, or rigorous methods, which could harm participants and undermine the project. The appropriate course is to decline the offer until you’ve gained the necessary training and supervision or until a qualified leader in that area is in place. If you still want to be involved, pursue targeted training and proper supervision or collaborate with a fully qualified expert. Accepting without training or with minimal supervision risks harm and misrepresentation, and hiring someone else to lead would not satisfy the requirement for you to be the responsible leader in a domain you’re not prepared for.

Staying within your current level of competence is essential. Ethics codes require you to provide services and lead research only in areas where you have adequate education, training, and experience. When a new, interdisciplinary area lies outside what you’re trained for, you can’t ethically guarantee quality, safety, or rigorous methods, which could harm participants and undermine the project. The appropriate course is to decline the offer until you’ve gained the necessary training and supervision or until a qualified leader in that area is in place. If you still want to be involved, pursue targeted training and proper supervision or collaborate with a fully qualified expert. Accepting without training or with minimal supervision risks harm and misrepresentation, and hiring someone else to lead would not satisfy the requirement for you to be the responsible leader in a domain you’re not prepared for.