Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) refers to behavior by an intimate partner that can cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm; is a common global public health issue requiring immediate attention. IPV is the most common form of violence in rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan. This qualitative phenomenological study collected 46 in-depth interviews from married women who experienced IPV in the rural areas of South Punjab. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection. These women were selected through a snowball sampling technique from October 2018 to March 2019. Researchers accessed the study setting with the help of gatekeepers (Lady Health Workers and Village Heads). The interviews were audio-recorded in the local language (Saraiki) and were translated into English. The data were analyzed using the thematic inductive analysis technique. The study has presented multifaceted factors of IPV by using the socio-ecological framework in rural areas of South Punjab, Pakistan. The current study introduced culturally contextualized terminologies of "protection," "physical submissiveness," "mental delicacy," and "social security". For married women, culturally embedded terms became the primary cause of IPV. In addition, the study also highlighted some of the cultural terminologies (such as run-mureed, watta-satta, beghairat, izzat, etc.) that are ubiquitous in the local context that sometimes intensifies IPV in the family and community sphere. Furthermore, the study discussed how gender-based inequalities trigger a status quo that ultimately creates power discrimination between spouses, which perpetuates violence in the domestic context. Gender-prejudiced roles and expectations imposed by orthodoxy, misinterpretations of Islamic teachings, and dominant patriarchy can be contested through awareness campaigns among the public, and gender sensitization drives among public institutions of police and judiciary. Education and employment-based can lead to women's empowerment and help to challenge the orthodox anti-feminist societal norms and the role of kinship-based networks in the family and community sphere.

Ethical and responsible research conduct is central to maintaining the integrity of scientific inquiry. Yet, many U.S. higher education institutions face persistent challenges in building the capacity and expertise needed to deliver effective training in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) and Research Mentorship (RM). To examine current practices and identify effective instructional strategies, we conducted a scoping review of RECR and RM education for STEM researchers across U.S. higher education institutions. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we systematically searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025, identifying 59 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Data management, mentorship, Institutional Review Board (IRB) procedures, and publication ethics emerged as the most frequently addressed topics, whereas complex and emergent areas, such as foreign influence, data privacy, and international or community-engaged research, were rarely covered. Active learning approaches, including reflective writing, case studies, and structured discussion, were consistently described as more effective in promoting ethical understanding than passive, compliance-oriented methods such as online modules or lectures. Many programs were multi-modal, context-specific, and time-intensive. These findings highlight critical gaps in RECR education and underscore the need for scalable, evidence-based training models that integrate active-learning principles and adapt to institutional type, disciplinary context, and researcher career stage. Future priorities include expanding RECR curricula to address emerging ethical challenges and investing in mentor development and institutional leadership that embed ethical research culture across the U.S. higher-education landscape.