Ethics: Doing the Right

Thing

Chapter 3

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The Ethical Imperative

Balancing two priorities when doing research

Protecting research Gaining knowledge

participants and and finding a clear
upholding boarder answer to a
human rights. research question.

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The Ethical Imperative

Researchers have a strong moral and

professional obligation to act ethically at all
times and in all situations
 Scientific Misconduct
 Scientific misconduct = violating basic and
generally accepted standards of honest
scientific research, such as research fraud
and plagiarism.

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The Ethical Imperative
 Scientific Misconduct
 Research fraud = to invent, falsify or distort
study data or to lie about how a study was
conducted.
 Plagiarism = using another person’s words or
ideas without giving them proper credit and
instead passing them off as your own.
 Unethical but Legal

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The Ethical Imperative
 Unethical but Legal
Typology Of Legal And Ethical Actions In Research

LEGAL ETHICAL
Yes No

Yes Moral and Legal Legal but Immoral

No Illegal but Moral Immoral and Illegal

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Ethical Issues Involving Research
Participants
 The Origin of Ethical Principles with Humans
 Protect Research Participants from Harm
 Avoid Harm To Research Participants
 Physical harm 
 Psychological abuse, stress, or loss of self-esteem  

 Legal harm

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Ethical Issues Involving Research
Participants
 Participation Must be Voluntary and
Informed
 Principle of Voluntary Consent = never
force anyone to participate in a research
study. Participants should explicitly and
voluntarily agree to participate.
 Informed Consent = An agreement in which
participants state they are willing to be in a
study and they know what the research
procedure will involve.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Ethical Issues Involving Research
Participants
 Limits to Using Deception in Research
 Deception is Acceptable Only Within Strict
Limits
 it has a clear, specific methodological purpose
 use it only to the minimal degree necessary and

for shortest time;

 obtain informed consent and do not misrepresent

any risks;
 always debrief.

 Avoid coercion.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009

Ethical Issues Involving Research
Participants
 Privacy, Anonymity, and Confidentiality
 Privacy has two components:
 Anonymity = not connecting a participant’s name
or identifying details to information collected about
him or her.
 Confidentiality = holding information in

confidence or not making it known to the public.

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 Ethical Issues Involving Research
Participants
Confidentiality Anonymity
YES NO
YES Gather data so it is Privately link details about
impossible for anyone to a specific participant to a
link it to any name and name, but only publicly
release findings in release findings in
aggregate form. aggregate form
NO Release details Unethical
about a specific Reveal publicly details
participant to the about a person with
public, but his/her name
withhold the name
and details that
might allow someone Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Ethical Issues Involving Research
Participants
 Extra Protections for Special Populations
 Special populations = people lacking the cognitive
competency or full freedom to give true informed
consent.
 Formal Protections for Research Participants
 Institutional Review Board (IRB) = a committee of
researchers and community members that oversees,
monitors, and reviews the impact of research
procedures on human participants.
 Code of Ethics = A written, formal set of professional
standards that provides guidance when ethical
questions arise in practice. Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2009
Ethics and the Sponsors of Research
 Arriving at Particular Findings
 Limitson How to Conduct Studies
 Suppressing Findings

 Whistle-blowing = when a researcher sees

unethical behavior and after unsuccessful
attempts to get superiors to end it, goes public
to expose the wrongdoing.

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Political Influences on Research
 Political concerns can influence and
interfere with the research process.

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Value-Free and Objective Research
 Multiple Meanings
 Value free has two meanings:
1) research without any prior assumptions or theory,
2) research free of influence from an individual
researcher’s personal prejudices/beliefs.
 Objective has two meanings as well:
1) focus only on what is external or visible,
2) follow clear and publicly accepted research
procedures and not haphazard, invented personal
ones.

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Value-Free and Objective Research
 Alternative Goals

 Devoid of Values

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