Name: Sushma 1

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The role of ethics in Social Science Research

SYNOPSIS

 Introduction
 Significance of Ethics in Social Science Research
 Ethical issues in Research
 Principles underlying research ethics
 Recommendations
 Conclusion

Introduction

Ethics refers to the set of moral principles, rules or norms that govern a person or a profession.
Rapid technological development and political upheavals in recent years have raised new
research ethics concerns, requiring sensitivity to identify ethically problematic areas in Social
Science, humanities and law research. Increasing use of the internet and social media data in
research methodology is an area of concern where ethics needs to be strictly followed. Similarly,
there are many other areas of concern in research which demands attention to research ethics. It
is important to guarantee safe conditions for research participation for people who may benefit
from research, but also for researchers themselves.

The principle underlying ethics in such area requires the researchers to follow certain ethical
norms like not causing any harm to the people participating in the survey/research, protecting
their privacy, maintaining confidentiality, obtaining free and informed consent, respecting
integrity, freedom and participation and to avoid any injury and severe burdens.

Significance of Ethics in Social Science Research

The role of Ethics in Social Science Research is highly significant and it is very important for a
researcher to adhere to ethical standards while conducting a research. The reasons are as follows-

1. Ethical norms promote the aim of research, such as knowledge, truth and avoidance of error
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2. Since research often involves a great deal of cooperation and coordination among many
different people in different disciplines and institutions, many of these ethical standards promote
the values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect,
and fairness

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

Ethical issues in Research

Social science research is diverse and relies on a multitude of research methods, all of which
need specific attention to ethics. Confusion and conflicts can arise, given that research brings
new insights and possibilities on which we do not immediately have established opinions.

The section below briefly introduces methodologies that need particular attention from the
perspective of research ethics. The focus is on methods the use (and justification) of which
frequently occupy Ethics Panels in the screening and review process of proposals. These include:

Informed Consent – Under informed consent it is the responsibility of the researcher to make
certain that people participating in the research have complete knowledge of the purpose and
methods to be used in the study and the risks involved. The participant must also be aware that
he or she has the right to withdraw from the study at any time. The requirements of informed
consent should be met, irrespective of whether consent was obtained directly or through
substitute.

Privacy and confidentiality- are two ethical issues that are crucial to social researchers who
request individuals to share with them their thoughts attitudes and experiences. The ethical social
researcher is one who is aware of ways in which privacy and confidentiality may be jeopardised
and safeguarded and is knowledgeable about the effects of privacy and confidentiality on
consent.

Use of Deception – Use of Deception in research violates the principles of informed consent and
causes harm to participants, researchers and society.
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Covert Research –Covert research is a type of secret or disguised research that can invade
participants privacy. It also goes against the requirement of informed consent. Therefore, this
form of research should be avoided unless it has a strong justification and clear benefit.

Social media data and internet sources- A large amount of data for research is collected through
social media which could cause identity, privacy issue if standard ethical norms are not followed.

Underlying principles

The basic ethical principles that have evolved to protect human participants from harm, apply to
all fields of research in which humans participate by contributing time, effort, insights and
personal data for researchers use. Some of these ethical principles include:

 ensuring honesty and transparency towards research subjects

 respecting individual autonomy and obtaining free and informed consent (as well as
assent whenever relevant)
 protecting vulnerable individuals
 ensuring privacy and confidentiality
 promoting justice and inclusiveness
 minimising harm and maximising benefit
 sharing the benefits with disadvantaged populations, especially if the research is being
carried out in developing countries
 respecting and protecting the environment and future generations
 respecting posthumous reputations

Recommendations

As researchers, everyone is bound to follow certain ethical standards. In case of conflicts, or any
ethical issue that arises strong justification must always be provided and it must be so designed
to protect participants dignity and autonomy and minimize potential harm to them.
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Roll No : 10287