Q: What questions of ethics arise in research?

How
do we decide what is ethically correct in Marketing
research?
When it comes to marketing research, there are certain dos and donts that should be
considered when collecting and delivering findings. This following topic covers definition of
ethics, importance of ethics and various different ethical issues that occur in market
research and suitable approaches for analyzing the collected data.

Derivation of word Ethics:

ETHICS is a Greek word: ethos means custom or convention, or the spirit
of community.

Definition of Ethics:
Oxford Dictionary defines Ethics as moral principles that govern a
persons behaviour or the conducting of an activity.
The branch of philosophy that deals with morality. Ethics is concerned with
distinguishing between good and evil in the world, between right and wrong
human actions, and between virtuous and non virtuous characteristics of
people.
It refers to rules for distinguishing between right and wrong.
It is refers to Norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and
unacceptable behaviour.

Importance of Ethics:
Research ethics is an important part of professional life of every researcher and it
influences society in multiple ways. However, perception of ethics, its principles and its
importance may significantly vary between individuals, disciplines, and countries. Different
perceptions and lack of awareness have led to controversial debates about the benefits of
science, innovation and new technologies, as well as the societal responsibility of
researchers. In an era of digital science, where information communication technologies
(ICT) are both the subject of and a tool for research, communication and collaboration,
ethical issues are gaining increasingly in importance.
One way of defining 'ethics' focuses on the disciplines that study standards of conduct,
such as philosophy, theology, law, psychology, or sociology. For example, a "medical
ethicist" is someone who studies ethical standards in medicine. Another way defines ethics

as a method, procedure, or perspective for deciding how to act and for analyzing
complex problems and issues. For instance, in considering a complex issue like global
warming, one may take an economic, ecological, political, or ethical perspective on the
problem. While an economist might examine the cost and benefits of various policies related
to global warming, an environmental ethicist could examine the ethical values and principles
at stake.
Many different disciplines, institutions, and professions have norms for behavior that suit
their particular aims and goals. These norms also help members of the discipline to
coordinate their actions or activities and to establish the public's trust of the discipline. For
instance, ethical norms govern conduct in medicine, law, engineering, and business. Ethical
norms also serve the aims or goals of research and apply to people who conduct scientific
research or other scholarly or creative activities. There is even a specialized discipline,
research ethics, which studies these norms.
There are few points that focus on importance of ethics in research;

Ethics promote the aim of Research: It promotes the purpose of research and it also
emphasizes that research must have knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. For
example, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data

promote the truth and avoid error.

Promote values that are essentials for cooperation, coordination and for
collaborative working like trust, accountability, mutual respect and fairness. For
example, many ethical norms in research, such as guidelines for authorship, copyright
and patenting policies, data sharing policies, and confidentiality rules in peer review,
are designed to protect intellectual property interests while encouraging collaboration.
Most researchers want to receive credit for their contributions and do not want to have

their ideas stolen or disclosed prematurely.

Many of the ethical norms help to ensure that researchers can be held
accountable to the public. For instance, federal policies on research misconduct,
conflicts of interest, the human subjects protections, and animal care and use are
necessary in order to make sure that researchers who are funded by public money can

be held accountable to the public.

Ethical norms in research also help to build public support for research. People
are more likely to fund a research project if they can trust the quality and integrity of
research.

Many of the norms of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values,
such as social responsibility, human rights, and animal welfare, compliance with the law,
and health and safety.

Q: What is Ethics and how does it apply to Market Research?

In the case of market research, ethics can be defined as the moral principles that are
recognized when performing market research. It is the rules that guide us for right and
wrong. There are some practices on how research should be conducted, unfortunately
these guidelines are not always followed and there are often cases where data was
collected in unethical ways.
Ethics applies to market research in various ways. Data could not only be collected
unethically, but also presented and analyzed in a way that does now comply with industry
standards. For example, a market researcher could be collecting data and could change the
results of their findings in order to better prove their hypothesis on the matter.
In marketing research, ethical issues and concerns are common. Some of the more
common issues are as follows;

Privacy and Confidentiality

Honesty in collecting, analyzing and presenting data
Responsibility of researchers

1. Privacy and Confidentiality:

i.
Privacy and confidentiality can have several connotations as it can relate to
different areas, some of which include financial, medical, political, governmental
and legal issues, among others. In marketing research, privacy and
confidentiality generally involves:
i. The participants right to decide whether to obey with the investigators request,
ii. Their right to be debriefed about what is involved in their participation,
The extent to which personal information is collected,
iii. The disclosure and retention of personal information, and
iv. Adhering to codes of conduct and laws that dictate how to properly manage
participants privacy and keeping their information safe and confidential. The first
issue involves giving participants the right to choose if they want to be part of the
research and that they have the right not to answer questions they do not want to
answer. Often, participants do not know that they have this right and think it is their

obligation to answer anything the investigator asks them. This is often the case
when partakers are older, uneducated or underprivileged so as ethical
researchers, it is our duty to inform them about their entitlements.
v. Participants also must be informed about what is involved in a given investigation.
For example, they must be debriefed at the end of a study, especially if an experimental
manipulation is used. They must be informed of one-way mirrors, microphones in the room
or projective techniques been used as to not to invade their privacy. Similarly, if
confidentiality about respondents personal information is promised but not kept, their right
to safety will be breached.
vi. There are types of personal information that can often be associated with invasion
of privacy. A researcher therefore must be aware that asking participants
questions about their sexual orientation, religion, political affiliations or income can
be seen as discriminative or irrelevant thus invading their privacy. If such
questions are necessary to the study, it is important to explain participant the
relevance of these questions and to warrant them that such information will be
kept anonymous and confidential.
For Example:

Codes of conduct from marketing research associations as well as provincial and

federal laws decree standard practices on disclosure and retention of personal
information. The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) is a
Canadian not-for-profit association representing all aspects of the market
intelligence and survey research industry (MRIA) that dictates standard marketing
research practices. Their 2000 members must adhere to their privacy code. Some of
their principles about disclosure and retention of personal information include:
Principle 4 Limiting Collection of Personal Information
The MRIA will limit the collection of personal information to that which is necessary for the
purposes identified by the MRIA. The MRIA will collect personal information by fair and
lawful means.
Principle 5 Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Personal Information
The MRIA will not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for
which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required or permitted
by law. The MRIA will retain personal information only as long as necessary for the
fulfillment of those purposes.

As we can see, respecting respondents privacy and keeping their information confidential
plays a big role in being ethical when doing marketing research. As researchers, it is
important to be aware of our duties and obligations with the people we interview or observe.
We must let them know of their rights: right to choose, right to safety and right to be
informed. Finally, we must also respect the information they contribute for a given
investigation by managing it well and by keeping it secure and confidential.
2. Honesty in Presenting and Analyzing Results:
Analyzing results is the procedure of assessing, illustrating, and reviewing data by using
statistical and logical techniques. To curb the misleading of marketing research and errors of
statistics, its necessary for researchers to honestly present and analyze results. The reports
should be written in a way that is logical and persuasive. Both primary data and secondary
data can be used for presenting and analyzing. Secondary data may be brought into the
analysis to help find results. However, in order to avoid unreliable information, researchers
need to consider the following items:

Specification and methodology used.

The dependability of the source must be seen.
Is the data current?
Does it apply to the time frame youre interested in?

3. Responsibility of Researchers:
Individuals all have responsibility to ensure that they have ability to meet the goal of
research when they work with a research project. Responsibility of researchers plays an
important role in research project, and it can help the people perform the project efficiently.
Researchers who are working on a project need to have the following responsibility:

Conducting the research

Ensuring the outline is on the track
Protecting the confidential data
Recording any events

Researchers have overall responsibility for the project and accountable to the employer of
the research; therefore, they are required to provide appropriated management to all
working, ensure all the date is appropriated, and report any of misconduct.
4. Other points that must be considered in conducting research ethically:

i.

Honesty: Strive for honesty in all scientific communications. Honestly report data,
results, methods and procedures, and publication status. Do not fabricate, falsify, or

ii.

misrepresent data. Do not deceive colleagues, granting agencies, or the public.

Objectivity: Strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data
interpretation, peer review, personnel decisions, grant writing, expert testimony, and
other aspects of research where objectivity is expected or required. Avoid or
minimize bias or self-deception. Disclose personal or financial interests that may

iii.

affect research.
Integrity: Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for

iv.

consistency of thought and action.

Carefulness: Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine
your own work and the work of your peers. Keep good records of research activities,
such as data collection, research design, and correspondence with agencies or

v.

journals.
Openness: Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources. Be open to criticism and

vi.

new ideas.
Respect for Intellectual Property: Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of
intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data, methods, or results without
permission. Give credit where credit is due. Give proper acknowledgement or credit

vii.

for all contributions to research. Never plagiarize.

Confidentiality: Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants
submitted for publication, personnel records, trade or military secrets, and patient

viii.

records.
Responsible Publication: Publish in order to advance research and scholarship,

ix.

not to advance just your own career. Avoid wasteful and duplicative publication.
Responsible Mentoring: Help to educate, mentor, and advise students. Promote

x.
xi.

their welfare and allow them to make their own decisions.

Respect for colleagues: Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.
Social Responsibility: Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social

xii.

harms through research, public education, and advocacy.

Non-Discrimination: Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the
basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors that are not related to their scientific
competence and integrity.

xiii.

Competence: Maintain and improve your own professional competence and

expertise through lifelong education and learning; take steps to promote competence

xiv.

in science as a whole.
Legality: Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.

Ethical Decision Making in Research with Examples:

Although codes, policies, and principals are very important and useful, like any set of rules,
they do not cover every situation, they often conflict, and they require considerable
interpretation. It is therefore important for researchers to learn how to interpret, assess, and
apply various research rules and how to make decisions and to act in various situations.
The vast majority of decisions involve the straightforward application of ethical rules. For
example, consider the following case,
Case 1:
The research protocol for a study of a drug on hypertension requires the administration of
the drug at different doses to 50 laboratory mice, with chemical and behavioral tests to
determine toxic effects. Tom has almost finished the experiment for Dr. Q. He has only 5
mice left to test. However, he really wants to finish his work in time to go to Florida on spring
break with his friends, who are leaving tonight. He has injected the drug in all 50 mice but
has not completed all of the tests. He therefore decides to extrapolate from the 45
completed results to produce the 5 additional results.
Many different research ethics policies would hold that Tom has acted unethically by
fabricating data. If this study were sponsored by a federal agency, such as the NIH, his
actions would constitute a form of research misconduct, which the government defines as
"fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism" (or FFP). Actions that nearly all researchers classify
as unethical are viewed as misconduct. It is important to remember, however, that
misconduct occurs only when researchers intend to deceive: honest errors related to
sloppiness, poor record keeping, miscalculations, bias, self-deception, and even negligence
do not constitute misconduct. Also, reasonable disagreements about research methods,
procedures, and interpretations do not constitute research misconduct. Consider the
following case:

Case 2:
Dr. T has just discovered a mathematical error in a paper that has been accepted for
publication in a journal. The error does not affect the overall results of his research, but it is
potentially misleading. The journal has just gone to press, so it is too late to catch the error
before it appears in print. In order to avoid embarrassment, Dr. T decides to ignore the error.
Dr. T's error is not misconduct nor is his decision to take no action to correct the error. Most
researchers, as well as many different policies and codes, including ECU's policies, would
say that Dr. T should tell the journal about the error and consider publishing a correction or
errata. Failing to publish a correction would be unethical because it would violate norms
relating to honesty and objectivity in research.
There are many other activities that the government does not define as "misconduct" but
which are still regarded by most researchers as unethical. These are called "other
deviations" from acceptable research practices and include:

Publishing the same paper in two different journals without telling the editors

Submitting the same paper to different journals without telling the editors

Not informing a collaborator of your intent to file a patent in order to make sure that
you are the sole inventor

Including a colleague as an author on a paper in return for a favor even though the
colleague did not make a serious contribution to the paper

Discussing with your colleagues confidential data from a paper that you are
reviewing for a journal

Trimming outliers from a data set without discussing your reasons in paper

Using an inappropriate statistical technique in order to enhance the significance of

your research

By passing the peer review process and announcing your results through a press
conference without giving peers adequate information to review your work

Conducting a review of the literature that fails to acknowledge the contributions of

other people in the field or relevant prior work

Stretching the truth on a grant application in order to convince reviewers that your
project will make a significant contribution to the field

Stretching the truth on a job application or curriculum vita

Giving the same research project to two graduate students in order to see who can
do it the fastest

Overworking, neglecting, or exploiting graduate or post-doctoral students

Failing to keep good research records

Failing to maintain research data for a reasonable period of time

Making derogatory comments and personal attacks in your review of author's

submission

Promising a student a better grade for sexual favors

Using a racist epithet in the laboratory

Making significant deviations from the research protocol approved by your

institution's Animal Care and Use Committee or Institutional Review Board for Human
Subjects Research without telling the committee or the board

Not reporting an adverse event in a human research experiment

Wasting animals in research

Exposing students and staff to biological risks in violation of your institution's

biosafety rules

Rejecting a manuscript for publication without even reading it

Sabotaging someone's work

Stealing supplies, books, or data

Rigging an experiment so you know how it will turn out

Making unauthorized copies of data, papers, or computer programs

Owning over $10,000 in stock in a company that sponsors your research and not
disclosing this financial interest

Deliberately overestimating the clinical significance of a new drug in order to obtain

economic benefits

These actions would be regarded as unethical by most scientists and some might even be
illegal. Most of these would also violate different professional ethics codes or institutional
policies. However, they do not fall into the narrow category of actions that the government
classifies as research misconduct. Indeed, there has been considerable debate about the
definition of "research misconduct" and many researchers and policy makers are not
satisfied with the government's narrow definition that focuses on FFP. However, given the
huge list of potential offenses that might fall into the category "other serious deviations," and

the practical problems with defining and policing these other deviations, it is understandable
why government officials have chosen to limit their focus.

References:

www.google.com

Wikipedia.com
Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA)

Name: Danish Alam

Roll No. FA-15, RMS-002
Thank you Sir G ..