Research Ethics in Anthropology / Sociology

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.


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



Privacy Survey researchers invade a persons privacy when they probe into beliefs, backgrounds, and behaviors in a way that

reveals intimate private details.



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.


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.


Unethical, but legal

Behavior may be unethical but not break the law.


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.



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.



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.


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.


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


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.



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.



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 Anthropology / Sociology

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