INDEPENDENT RESEARCH BASED ON LEGAL STANDARDS, ETHICS, AND PROFESSIONALISM IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This study aims to deeply analyze the relationship between research independence and adherence to legal, ethical, and professional standards at the doctoral level, where supervisor supervision is minimal. Independent research is central to achieving doctoral competency, requiring the ability to responsibly plan, implement, and account for all stages of research without detailed direction. However, this independence is not unlimited; each research step is bound by a legal framework, research ethics norms, and scientific professionalism principles that guarantee the protection of subject rights, data accuracy, and the dignity of scientific work. This study employed a qualitative approach with a juridical normative analysis and an in-depth reflective case study. Data were collected through a review of laws and regulations, national and institutional research ethics guidelines, academic ethics literature, and a critical review of the implementation of independent research with minimal supervision. The analysis was conducted by exploring the normative basis of researcher independence, mapping points of legal and ethical compliance at each stage of the research, and formulating self-control mechanisms that serve as a substitute for detailed external supervision. The research findings demonstrate that research independence and adherence to legal and ethical standards are not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually reinforcing: the more independent a researcher is, the greater their legal and ethical responsibilities. Minimal oversight actually demands a strong sense of legal awareness, ethical integrity, and professional commitment within the researcher. It was also found that legal and ethical violations in independent research are more likely to occur not due to malicious intent, but rather due to ignorance of applicable regulations and weak self-control systems. A Framework for Independent Research Based on Legal, Ethical, and Professional Standards, along with a detailed compliance checklist, was developed to enable researchers to conduct research independently while ensuring compliance.