Dental Anthropology Association

The Code of Ethics for the Dental Anthropology Association may be accessed below.

Dental Anthropology Association
CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT
Adopted 7 February 2025

THE CODE: As a means to promote the highest quality of professional and personal conduct of its members, the following constitutes the Code of Ethics and Conduct, which is endorsed and adhered to by all members of the Dental Anthropology Association (DAA).

Members of the DAA shall:

a) refrain from providing any material misrepresentation of education, training, experience, or area of expertise;
b) refrain from making statements that are not technically correct and scientifically based;
c) respect the individual and collective rights of others and not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, place of birth, physical or mental disabilities, and/or professional standing;
d) treat others with dignity and respect and adhere to zero tolerance against all forms of discrimination and harassment;
e) treat all decedents/skeletal material/dental material and next-of-kin and/or descendent communities with dignity and respect;
f) treat research subjects with dignity and respect;
g) intervene or report unethical behavior as appropriate, if witnessed.

COMPLAINTS AND ADJUDICATION: Any DAA member whose professional conduct does not adhere to the ethical code can be reported to the DAA or its sister organizations to which the member belongs. Investigative action may be initiated due to alleged violations of the code of ethics and conduct.

Allegations of misconduct can be reported to the current president of the DAA. The president will create an ad hoc ethics committee of existing DAA officers and members who do not have a conflict of interest. The committee will consist of at least two officers and two members; the president will appoint one of these officers as chair of the committee.

The ethics committee will investigate the allegation to verify its legitimacy. If the claim is founded and found to be a violation of the Code of Ethics and Conduct, the Ethics Committee shall make a report, which will include a recommendation to the DAA Officers. Recommendations can include, but are not limited to:

(a) Private or public written reprimand(s), probation, formal apologies, and/or any other rectifications deemed appropriate by the Ethics Committee (sensitivity training, ethics training, workshops, community service, etc.);
(b) Suspension: Suspension is the removal of a member’s association with the DAA for a temporary amount of time as determined appropriate by the Ethics Committee.
(c) Loss of membership: This is used to permanently remove a member from the DAA. This action is appropriate in situations where it is not reasonable to expect that the Member will be able to correct the problem(s).

The Officers of the DAA will vote to approve the recommendation of the Ethics Committee. A simple majority is needed for the motion to pass.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: As researchers, teachers, professionals, and scholars there are additional considerations for ethical behavior in various settings as outlined below.

Teaching and Mentorship: Mentors and educators should be cognizant of the guidelines in their institutions that guide ethical behavior (e.g., Title IX policies, etc.). The power dynamic between mentors and mentees should be acknowledged and not taken advantage of, particularly in anthropology where teaching and research can involve close contact with students/mentees/trainees in field and laboratory contexts. Mentors and teachers should also consider the following:

• Conduct programs in ways that do not discriminate in any form on the basis of sex, gender, social race, socioeconomic status, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, neurodiversity, or any other recognized protected class.
• Recognize that mentees/students have various lived experiences that prepare them for advanced education in different ways that may diverge from the mentor’s experience.
• Strive to grow as a mentor and educator and create a culture of inclusivity and diverse thought.
• Discuss ethical practice with mentees and students.

Research: Ethical considerations need be integrated into all aspects of research, to include the formation of hypotheses, treatment of research subjects, and in publications. To engage in ethical research, individuals should consider the following:

• Obligations to people, species, and materials under study.
• Respect for host and descendent communities.
• Long-term conservation and curation of study materials.
• Ethical presentation of data in presentations, publications, and teaching that honors the study material (e.g., photographs, drawings, scans, and casts)
• Facilitation of valid scientific scholarly research by others
• Reasonable requests for access to data
• Ensure proper documentation of dental material prior to destructive analyses
• Limit destructive analysis whenever possible and be able to justify why it is necessary

Public Engagement: As anthropologists, we are in a unique position to engage with communities about the human condition. Sharing our scholarship and expertise serves as a way to democratize knowledge and can be seen as an ethical obligation. When engaging with the public and communities the following should be considered:

• Advocacy and activism for areas of expertise
• Publishing op-eds or in areas/media that are accessible to the general public
• Ensuring that information is well understood and not taken out of context or misused
• Preventing potential harms involved in sharing data and results