The correct answer is: A. Not disclosing the holdings of shares/stocks in a company that sponsors your research.
Good research ethics means following the principles of honesty, integrity, and fairness in all aspects of research. This includes disclosing any potential conflicts of interest, such as holding shares in a company that sponsors your research. It also means respecting the rights of research participants, including their privacy and confidentiality.
Option B is not an example of good research ethics because it could lead to a conflict of interest. If a PhD student is only assigned one research problem, they may be more likely to produce results that are favorable to the company that is sponsoring the research. This could bias the results of the research and make it less reliable.
Option C is not an example of good research ethics because it could violate the confidentiality of research participants. If a researcher discusses confidential data from a research paper with their colleagues, it could jeopardize the privacy of the participants.
Option D is not an example of good research ethics because it could lead to duplicate publication. If a researcher submits the same research manuscript for publishing in more than one journal, it could waste the time and resources of the editors and reviewers of the journals. It could also lead to confusion among readers, who may not be sure which version of the paper is the most accurate.
In conclusion, good research ethics means following the principles of honesty, integrity, and fairness in all aspects of research. This includes disclosing any potential conflicts of interest, respecting the rights of research participants, and avoiding duplicate publication.