International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Paul Oduor Oyile, Samuel Mungai Mbuguah
Abstract: As software systems become increasingly integral to critical infrastructure, commerce, governance, and everyday life, the role of software architecture in shaping ethical outcomes has gained renewed importance. While technical efficiency and system scalability remain core concerns, the ethical integrity of architectural research and decisions is often overlooked. This paper critically reviews the ethical challenges and best practices related to research integrity in software architecture. The objectives of the study are: (1) to examine the ethical risks and dilemmas inherent in architectural research and design decisions, and (2) to explore best practices that can guide ethically responsible architectural research and implementation. The study adopts a desktop research design, utilizing content analysis of empirical literature to evaluate the current discourse on ethical conduct and responsible innovation in software architecture. Findings reveal that ethical challenges in software architecture research often stem from biased trade-offs, lack of transparency, neglect of user privacy and inclusivity, and inadequate documentation of decision rationales. Conversely, best practices emphasize transparency, stakeholder involvement, long-term impact assessment, and alignment with ethical frameworks such as fairness, accountability, and sustainability. This paper contributes to the growing discourse on ethical software engineering by offering a synthesized understanding of how research integrity can be upheld throughout the architectural design process.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16908681
