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Protecting Human Research Participants/Ethical Research Assignment

Brenda Tirado

Concordia University Irvine - MAED School Counseling

EDSC 511: Introduction to School Counseling

Rebecca Clark

October 30, 2022

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Protecting Human Research Participants/Ethical Research Assignment

A crucial part of learning is proactively testing and putting our skills into practice. As

students, a way we begin to do this is by completing projects where we can have the opportunity

to interact with others and learn from their experiences. Many of the projects we will complete

throughout this program are classified as classroom projects, which means the information

gathered is solely for the benefit of our project and our classmates, and they “run little to no risk

for the participants” (CUI IRB, 2019), therefore they do not require approval from the IRB

(Institutional Review Board). However, “if the project involves a sensitive topic or a vulnerable

human participant population then the project shall require OIRA and/or IRB approval even if

the intent is not to produce generalizable knowledge” (CUI IRB, 2019).

During my time as a MAED student, I will strive to ensure the participants' information

remains within the coursework and protected by first and foremost, making sure participants feel

safe and respected. This is an ethical principle known as beneficence (Department of Health,

Education, and Welfare, 1979). It’s important to remember the people we are collecting data

from are human beings who deserve to be “treated in an ethical manner not only by respecting

their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making efforts to secure their

well-being” (Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1979). As we aim to protect

participants it’s important to think holistically, we want to protect their mental health, and

physical safety, as well as be aware of the potential embarrassment the research could inflict on

them.

Mertler put it best when he told us to remember the golden rule while conducting

research. He suggests we out ourselves in the shoes of the participants to rather than thinking

from the point of view of a researcher (2018). Prior to even beginning a study Mertler suggests
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asking yourself these questions: “are they comfortable? Are they safe? Are their identities

protected?” (2018, 13:33). If the answer to any of these questions is no, then there should not be

any human participants involved yet. It’s also important to remember that even if your intent is

not to harm someone that doesn’t mean that you will not cause harm. As researchers, we should

be hyperaware of how the participant is feeling, based on body language and verbal

communication. If we notice a person becoming uncomfortable we need to be prepared to put the

study on hold and care for the individual. In the case of this happening, we can review the earlier

questions with them. Do they feel safe at that moment? If not, what circumstances can be

adjusted, if any? After reviewing those, reassuring the participant that your primary goal is to

protect them can go a long way. As well as just allowing them the space to voice their concerns

and be listened.

We also want to make sure we are providing potential participants with enough

information to make an informed decision on whether they want to be a part of the study or not.

Since we are seeking voluntary and informed consent we want them to know exactly what they

are signing up for (Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1979). Participants and/or

parents of participants need to know the extent of their involvement, their time commitment,

what kind of activities it’ll entails, and what kind of questions will be asked (Mertler, 2018,

18:04). Although this is important to all populations, it’s especially crucial when it comes to

asking parents for permission regarding minors involevement.

Along with providing them with sufficient information we also need to do a good job of

distinguishing the difference between confidentiality and anonymity to our participants.

Confidentiality means that the researcher, myself, in this case, is fully aware of who the subject

is but will not share that information with others outside of the co-researchers and anonymity
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means that nobody, not even the researcher will know who the subject is. The subject remains

fully anonymous throughout the whole process. This distinction is very important to emphasis to

avoid having people think they will be anonymous when they will only be confiendal to those

involved in the project (Mertler, 2018, 19:40).

Lastly, it is important to keep professional honesty. Data should not be “fabricated or

manipulated” (Mertler, 2018, 27:05) to conclude the research findings that you hoped you would

see. Even though it can be a bummer when this happens and the results may not be what we

wanted, they are still findings that will be useful for others in the field (Mertler, 2018). At the

end of the day, we need to remind ourselves that we are studying human subjects, and we need to

be sensitive and kind to human emotions and needs.

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References

CUI Institutional Review Board (IRB). 2019. Guidelines for classroom projects involving

human participants. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L-WrXg5OE

_wuq5zktIhglFc7CRU15PuQal_BYg-Zjuc/edit

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. (April 18, 1979). The Belmont Report.

Office of the Secretary Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human

subjects of research.

Mertler, C.A. [SAGE Publishing]. (2018, March 28). Teaching Ethics in Research Methods.

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvKA2365uv8