ABSTRACT
“Research is a step into the unknown” (CIHR et al., 2010, p. 7). This metaphor captures the need for all researchers to expect the unexpected and prepare for the ethical challenges that may arise in the quest for new knowledge. Striving to be an ethical researcher is an on-going process and involves sensitivity to values, norms, and relationships. It involves being competent, respectful, and worthy of trust. The discipline of nursing has similar demands. Nurse researchers’ twofold fiduciary relationship with the public (as both nurses and scientists) is strengthened by the interdependence of their roles.
