Research Ethics in Anthropology / Sociology
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Research
EthicsREPORT BY JESSA ADRIATICO / KIM TIANGCO
Ethical
Considerations
The Individual Researcher
Before, during and after conducting a study, a researcher has
opportunities to, and should, reflect on research actions and consult
his or her conscience. Ethical research depends on the integrity of the individual researcher and his or her values.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
The Research Benefit Scale
Potential Social
Benefit
Potential
Risk or Harm
Chapter 3: Ethical Issues Qualitative Research Methods for the Social SciencesBruce L. Berg, California University
Ethical Considerations
Informed Consent A fundamental ethical principle of social research is: Never coerce anyone into participating; participation
must be voluntary. It is not enough to get permission from the
subjects; they need to know what they are being asked to
participate in so that they can make an informed decision.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Ethical Considerations:
Informed Consent Informed Consent Statements Contain:
1. A brief description of the purpose and procedure of the research, including the expected duration of the study
2. A statement of any risks or discomfort associated with participation
3. A guarantee of anonymity and the confidentiality of records
4. The identification of the researcher and of where to receive information about subjects rights or questions about the study
5. A statement that participation is completely voluntary and can be terminated at any time without penalty
6. A statement of alternative procedures that may be used
7. A statement of any benefits or compensation provided to subjects and the number of subjects involved
8. An offer to provide a summary of findings
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Ethical Considerations
Privacy Survey researchers invade a persons privacy when they probe into beliefs, backgrounds, and behaviors in a way that
reveals intimate private details.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Ethical Considerations
Anonymity Researchers protect privacy by not disclosing a subjects identity after information is gathered. This takes two forms, both of which require separating an individuals identity from his or her responses: anonymity and confidentiality. Anonymity means that
subjects remain anonymous or nameless.
Confidentiality Event if anonymity is not possible, researchers should protect confidentiality. Anonymity protects the identity of
specific individuals from being known. Confidentiality means that
information may have names attached to it, but the researchers
holds it in confidence or keeps it secret.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Violations
Scientific Misconduct
Scientific Misconduct - Scientific misconduct occurs when a
researcher falsifies or distorts the data or the methods of data
collection, or plagiarizes the work of others
Research fraud occurs when a researcher fakes or invents data that we
not really collected, or falsely reports how research was conducted.
Plagiarism is fraud that occurs when a researcher steals the ideas of writings of another or uses them without citing the source.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Unethical, but legal
Behavior may be unethical but not break the law.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Harming Research Subjects
Physical Harm, Psychological Abuse, Stress, or Legal Jeopardy:
Social research can harm a research subject in several ways: physical
harm, psychological harm, legal harm, and harm to a persons career or income.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Harming Research Subjects
Physical Harm A straightforward ethical principle is that researchers should not cause physical harm. An ethical researcher
anticipates risks before beginning research, including basic safety concerns.
Psychological Abuse, Stress, or Loss of self-esteem Researchers learn about how people respond in real-life, highly anxiety
producing situations by placing subjects in realistic situations of
psychological discomfort or stress.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Harming Research Subjects
Legal Harm A researcher is responsible for protecting subjects from increased risk of arrest. If participation in research increases the risk
of arrest, subjects will distrust researchers and be unwilling to
participate in future research. Researchers may be able to secure
clearance from law enforcement authorities before conducting
certain types of research.
Other Harm to Subjects Research subjects may face other types of harm. For example, a survey interview may create anxiety and
discomfort among subjects who are asked to recall unpleasant
events. The ethical researcher is sensitive to any harm to subjects,
considers possible precautions, and weighs potential harm against potential benefits.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Deception
Deception Social researchers sometimes deceive or lie to subjects in field and experimental research. A researcher might misinterpret
his or her actions or true intentions for legitimate methodological reasons: If subjects knew the true purpose, they would modify their
behavior, making it impossible to learn of their real behavior, or
access to a research site might be impossible if he or she told the
truth.
Chapter 17: Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (W. Lawrence Nueman)
Ethics in
Interviewing
Ethics in Interviewing
Interviews, like all evaluation methods, have ethical standards to
follow. Due to the personal, conversational nature of interviews, five basic ethical issues should be considered as you plan
Ethics of Interviewing - Adapted from the text: Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods, Patton, M.Q. (1990)
Ethics in Interviewing
Confidentiality
Informed Consent
Risk Assessment
Promises / Reciprocity How will the subject benefit from this interview? How will this benefit the subjects community?
Special Issues Regarding Minors Interviewing minors has a host of special ethical issues including, but not limited to, informed consent
of the parent or guardian.
Ethics of Interviewing - Adapted from the text: Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods, Patton, M.Q. (1990)
Ethics in
Ethnography
Ethics in Ethnography
Justifiable interventions - Given the nature of the intrusiveness that ethnographic approaches normally adopt, good reasons have to be
given for interfering in peoples lives to such an extent. The question Is this research really necessary? is essentially an ethical one.
Researchers competence - Ethnography is extremely skilled work balancing being a member of the group as well as collecting data can
be quite complex. Researchers should demonstrate that they either
have these skills or provision is made for them to acquire them through
training and practice.
Research Quality and Design - It is generally accepted that poorly designed research is inherently unethical since it wastes researchers and subjects time and energy if the results are less than useful.
Research Ethics in Ethnography/Anthropology Dr. Ron Iphofen, AcSS
Ethics in Ethnography
Minimizing Harm, Maximizing Benefit The heart of ethical scrutiny is the attempt to balance the risk of harm against the potential for
benefits that can accrue to individuals, groups, communities, organizations and even societies from research participation.
Selecting, Recruiting, Retaining and Releasing Participants - The relationship with research subjects must be carefully managed and
controlled at each stage of the research process. This means
thinking about how subjects are chosen and encouraged to join a
research project, how they are encouraged to remain in the project
for the duration and how their withdrawal from a project is
facilitated.
Research Ethics in Ethnography/Anthropology Dr. Ron Iphofen, AcSS
Ethics in Ethnography
Giving Information and Seeking Consent - The use of the phrase
informed consent makes it clear that gaining consent cannot easily be separated from the giving of information. The phrase
voluntary informed consent implies that subjects should be able to choose freely to consent to participate in research.
Monitoring Safety - The monitoring of physical safety should not be separated from ethical scrutiny any potential risks to safety need to be assessed and if the researcher feels unsafe or anticipates risk
of harm to themselves or the potential for harm to their subjects this
concern must be addressed.
Dealing with Vulnerability - The perception of subjects as vulnerable
is likely to be influenced by diverse cultural preconceptions and so
regulated differentially by localized legislation.
Research Ethics in Ethnography/Anthropology Dr. Ron Iphofen, AcSS
Ethics in Ethnography
Privacy and Confidentiality - protecting the privacy of research
subjects and keeping any information they provide as confidential.
Involving Subjects in Research full collaborators or co-researchers
Disseminating Findings - There is a surprising range of ethical issues
associated with the dissemination and reporting of project findings.
The series of questions that need to be addressed about publication
include those contained in the classic mass communication
formula: what is communicated, to whom, how, when and why?
Research Ethics in Ethnography/Anthropology Dr. Ron Iphofen, AcSS
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