This policy establishes the ethical principles and standards that guide all research activities conducted under the auspices of the Georgian Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Education (GAIRE). It ensures that educational research is carried out with integrity, respect for human dignity, and in compliance with internationally recognized ethical norms and relevant national legislation. The policy is informed by internationally accepted ethical frameworks for research, including UNESCO’s recommendations on research ethics, OECD guidelines on responsible research governance, and European standards for ethics in social sciences and humanities research (UNESCO, 2017; OECD, 2015; European Commission, 2018).

GAIRE promotes research that contributes to educational development while upholding the following ethical principles, which are consistent with international guidelines for research involving human participants (European Commission, 2018; UNESCO, 2017):

• Integrity: Research must be conducted honestly, transparently, and responsibly, with appropriate acknowledgment of sources and contributions, in line with international standards of research integrity (OECD, 2015).
• Respect for Participants: The rights, dignity, privacy, and well-being of all participants must be protected throughout the research process (UNESCO, 2017).
• Voluntary Participation: Participation in research must be based on informed and freely given consent, without coercion or undue influence, as established in internationally recognized ethical principles for research involving human subjects (World Medical Association, 2013).
• Confidentiality: Personal data and identifiable information collected during research must be treated confidentially and used solely for academic and research purposes, in accordance with ethical standards and data protection principles (European Commission, 2018).
• Objectivity and Independence: Researchers must avoid conflicts of interest, bias, and external pressures that could compromise academic neutrality and independence (OECD, 2015).
• Accountability: Researchers are accountable to GAIRE, the academic community, research participants, and society for the ethical and responsible conduct of their research (UNESCO, 2017).

• All research projects conducted under GAIRE must comply with Georgian legislation and internationally recognized ethical standards for research, including those promoted by UNESCO and the OECD (OECD, 2015; UNESCO, 2017).
• Research involving minors, vulnerable populations, or sensitive topics must receive prior ethical approval from an authorized institutional or national ethics body, in line with European and international best practices (European Commission, 2018; WMA, 2013).
• GAIRE’s Board may establish an Ethics Committee responsible for reviewing research proposals, monitoring ethical compliance, and addressing complaints related to ethical misconduct.

• Data must be collected lawfully and transparently, with participants’ informed consent, in accordance with international ethical standards for social and educational research (European Commission, 2018).
• Researchers must ensure the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of data and must refrain from falsification, fabrication, or selective reporting of findings (OECD, 2015).
• Digital data and research records must be securely stored and handled in compliance with applicable data protection regulations and ethical guidelines and destroyed once they are no longer required (European Commission, 2018).

• Authorship must accurately reflect intellectual and scholarly contributions to the research, consistent with internationally recognized publication ethics standards (Committee on Publication Ethics, 2019).
• Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and duplicate publication are strictly prohibited (COPE, 2019).
• Research findings must be reported honestly and objectively, without misrepresentation, fabrication, or suppression of results (OECD, 2015).
• Any actual or potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed in publications and presentations (COPE, 2019).

• Researchers must respect institutional policies, cultural contexts, and ethical norms of the educational environments in which research is conducted (European Commission, 2018).
• Cooperation with educational institutions should be based on transparency, mutual respect, and shared ethical responsibility.
• Research participants have the right to withdraw from a study at any stage without penalty or negative consequences (WMA, 2013).

Violations of this policy, including data falsification, plagiarism, breaches of confidentiality, or other forms of unethical conduct, may result in:

• Formal warning or request for corrective action;
• Suspension or termination of research activities under GAIRE;
• Notification of relevant academic, professional, or regulatory bodies.

All cases will be reviewed by GAIRE’s Ethics Committee or the Board of the Association in accordance with established procedures and international principles of due process (UNESCO, 2017).

GAIRE promotes ethical awareness and responsible research conduct through:

• Training sessions and workshops on research ethics for members and partner institutions;
• Integration of ethical considerations into all research projects;
• Dissemination of international best practices in educational research ethics, drawing on UNESCO, OECD, and European guidelines (European Commission, 2018; OECD, 2015; UNESCO, 2017).

This policy constitutes an integral part of GAIRE’s governing documents and is binding for all members, researchers, and collaborators. It shall be reviewed and updated periodically by the Board in consultation with the Ethics Committee to ensure continued alignment with international ethical standards and national regulatory requirements.