Natural Resources Governance

Natural Resources Governance

Ethical Principles in Environmental Science Research with an Approach to Natural Resource Governance: From Theoretical Foundations to Practical Methods in Data Collection and Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Mohammad Ali Zare Chahouki
Department of Rehabilitation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Natural Resources Faculty, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
10.22059/jnrg.2025.393727.1034
Abstract
Environmental research findings are a key foundation for decision-making in the governance of natural resources. Adherence to ethical principles in the collection and analysis of environmental data not only prevents unnecessary harm to natural ecosystems but also enhances the scientific credibility of research and the effectiveness of natural resource governance. This paper examines ethical principles in the process of environmental data collection and analysis, highlighting their connection to environmental and natural resource ethics. Major challenges include sampling bias, increased measurement errors, ecosystem disturbance, violation of privacy, neglect of subjects' rights, lack of effective community participation, and ethical risks in data use. To mitigate these challenges, researchers must observe both scientific rigor and ethical standards. Core ethical requirements include respect for the environment, protection of living organisms' rights, data accuracy and reliability, prevention of data manipulation, transparency and accountability, privacy protection, informed and active participation of local communities, data security, equitable data access, and careful selection of appropriate statistical methods. Upholding these principles not only improves the scientific quality of research but also strengthens sustainable natural resource governance mechanisms. Therefore, the design and implementation of sampling systems must be grounded in both scientific standards and ethical principles related to environmental and natural resource research.
To reduce or eliminate these challenges, researchers must rigorously adhere to both scientific and ethical principles. Respect for the environment, safeguarding the rights of living organisms, enhancing data accuracy and reliability, ensuring data integrity, maintaining transparency and accountability, protecting privacy, promoting active and informed participation of local communities, securing data and information, ensuring social justice in data access, and carefully choosing appropriate statistical methods are among the key ethical principles that researchers must follow. To achieve these objectives, it is essential that the design and implementation of sampling systems uphold not only scientific standards but also the ethical principles of environmental and natural resource stewardship.
Keywords
Analysis
Environmental &‌ Natural Resource Ethics
Environmental Science
Ethical Principles
Sampling
Abedi Sarvestani, A. (2018). Environmental ethics and its role in the protection of nature. Iranian Nature Journal, 3(2), 6–9.
Anderson, J., et al. (2019). Ecological impacts of sampling methods. Journal of Environmental Ethics, 12(3), 45–67.
Brown, A., Smith, L., & Taylor, P. (2025). Ethical algorithms in environmental research. Journal of Environmental Data Science.
Franco, N. H., & Olsson, I. A. S. (2022). Improving animal research standards. Nature, 589(7841), 176–178. https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.201846069
Green, R., & Forest, J. (2024). Amazon biodiversity protection project. Global Ecology Studies.
Harris, J. (2023). Open-access in environmental research. Open Science Journal.
Hassan, Z., & Smith, P. (2023). Animal welfare in environmental research: Ethical practices and challenges. Ecological Ethics Review, 15(2), 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/EER157
Haynes, E. N., Elam, S., Burns, R., Spencer, A., Yancey, E., Kuhnell, P., ... & Dietrich, K. N. (2017). Community engagement and data disclosure in environmental health research. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4305-9
Haynes, E. N., et al. (2016). Community engagement and data disclosure in environmental health research. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(2), A24–A27. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510411
Jones, P., & Thompson, S. (2024). Non-invasive data collection methods. Remote Sensing Technology.
Khavarzadeh, M., et al. (2022). Ethical considerations in environmental data collection. Journal of Environmental Ethics, 32(4).
Lee, S., & Zhang, W. (2023). Drones in environmental research. Environmental Technology, 44(2), 89–104.
Martinez, P. (2020). Community participation biases. Environmental Studies Quarterly, 15(4), 112–125.
Pardhi, P. R., & Suri, C. S. (2025). Ethical and security measures for environmental data collection. In P. Mahalle, D. Takale, S. Sakhare, & G. Regulwar (Eds.), Machine learning for environmental monitoring in wireless sensor networks (pp. 53–92). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3940-4.ch004
Pardhi, P. R., & Suri, C. S. (2025). Ethical and security measures for environmental data collection. In Machine learning for environmental monitoring in wireless sensor networks (pp. 40–58). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3940-4.ch004
Reimagining research ethics to include environmental sustainability. (2022). PMC Journal. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10313991
Resnik, D. B. (2020). Environmental health ethics. Cambridge University Press.
Sandbrook, C. (2015). Conservation and drones. Oryx, 49(4), 649–653.
Oreskes, N. (2019). Why trust science? Princeton University Press.
Smith, J. (2021). Climate change and environmental policy. Environmental Policy Review.
Tengö, M., et al. (2017). Local knowledge participation. Ecology and Society, 22(4), 14.
Williams, K. (2023). Informed consent in environmental studies. Ethical Research Quarterly.
Wilson, E., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2018). Ethical challenges in community-based participatory research: A scoping review. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 13(4), 371–383. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732317690721
World Health Organization (WHO). (2022). Research ethics in environmental studies. Global Health Journal, 19(1), 45–59.
Zare Chahouki, M. A. (2022). Research methods in environmental sciences. Tehran: Jihad Daneshgahi Press.
Zavieh, R. (2023). Ethical guidelines for fieldwork in environmental studies. Zavieh Magazine. Retrieved from zaviehmag.ir
Natural Resources Governance
Volume 1, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
Spring 2025
Pages 339-349