Glass badge research papers with neglecting residents. Papers betraying residents with seven ethics violations cannot become basis for policy

Mr. Makoto Miyazaki at Fukushima Medical University and Mr. Ryugo Hayano at the University of Tokyo published a series of papers in the Journal of Radiological Protection, using the personal dosimetry data and internal dose data that were obtained from the glass badges of Date citizens and provided by the authority of Date City, Fukushima Prefecture. The first paper was published in December 2016, and the second paper in July 2017, but the third paper that was scheduled to be published has not yet been published. The government has taken this Miyazaki-Hayano dissertation (generic term for series dissertation) as the basis for policy (e.g., The 141st Radiological Council [June 22, 2018] document 141-4-1). The research that led to the Miyazaki-Hayano dissertation has violated a number of ethical guidelines ('Ethics Guidelines for Medical Research Targeting People' established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). In particular, the following are considered as the serious violation of ethical guidelines. (1) Use of the data of citizens who did not agree to the data provision. (2) The researchers did not inform Date citizens of the fact that they were conducting the study and the contents of the study, and did not give the citizens an opportunity of opt-out. (3) Prior to the approval of research protocol, the researchers received data from Date City and started the research. (4) The researchers discarded all the data. (5) The researchers reported, as the summary of the research end report, the information unrelated to the research protocol. These are considered a violation against the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. (A.O.)