Researchers must maintain honesty and integrity throughout every stage of the research process, beginning with topic selection. While academic freedom allows researchers to explore any topic of interest, they must also consider the potential societal impact of their work. In clinical research, investigators bear ethical responsibility for the outcomes of their studies. This means that a study should be grounded in sound theoretical principles and carried out using an appropriate design and sample. Research that poses potential harm to participants is not only unethical but also unlikely to make a meaningful scholarly contribution.