Chapter five

Research ethics
Set by Hailemariam W.
 Research Ethics

The American Psychological Association specifies principles for

research ethics.
Discussing intellectual property frankly refers to giving adequate credit
to sources of the study, mentioning accurate references, and publishing
original research free from plagiarism and not a copy of someone else's
work.
Being conscious of multiple roles refers to Psychologists and
researchers being mindful of not establishing any personal relations with
the participants of the study and handling transference and counter-
transference adequately.
Following informed consent rules highlights the importance of
informing the participants about the study process and allowing them to
participate in the study if they consent and not by coercion.
 Cont…
Respecting privacy and confidentiality refers to keeping the
individual results of the study between the researcher and the
participant and not revealing the participants' names and other
personal information to a third party.
Tapping into ethical resources aids the researchers when they
face an ethical dilemma.
They can refer to the resources that help guide them to act
ethically and conduct ethical research without violating the
rights and dignity of the study's participants.
 Study Design and Ethics Approval

Data Analysis
It is the responsibility of the researcher to analyze the data
adequately. Wrongly reading the data or manipulating the result
amounts to misconduct and a violation of ethical principles.
Authorship
The author should complete their responsibility and indulge in
activities like data collection, editing, correcting grammar and
language, submitting and revising the manuscript, and not
indulge in ghostwriting, which is getting their work done by
others but taking the credit for the entire study themselves.
 Cont…
Conflicts of Interest
Suppose two or more researchers' interests in a study are
conflicting, such as personal, political, commercial, or
financial conflicts. In that case, they must be discussed and
resolved initially, or they may negatively impact the study by
influencing the researchers' judgments.
Redundant Publication and Plagiarism
Copying someone else's work and publishing it in their name
is termed plagiarism and a major ethical fallacy committed by
researchers. Therefore, legal action must be taken against the
researcher if an unoriginal, plagiarised study is conducted.
 Ethical Considerations in Research

Informed Consent
The researchers need to obtain informed consent from the
participants, which informs them about the process of the study, the
potential harms, and how the participants will benefit from the study.
The outline of the study is given to the participants before the
conduction of the study.
Adults above the age of 18 can consent themselves, while when a
study is conducted on children, consent is obtained from their parents
or legal guardians.
The informed consent must be accompanied by an information sheet
comprising all the details of the study that the participants need to
know.
 Cont…
Debrief
After the conduction of the study, the process and the outcomes should
be discussed with the participants.
The participants must be given a fair idea of the study and what the
researcher aimed to investigate.
If the purpose of the study was not revealed initially to obtain accurate
results, and the participant was deceived, the researcher needs to explain
why it was done.
Debriefing needs to be as detailed as possible. Debriefing allows the
participants to leave with the same mind frame they entered the study.
 Cont…
Protection of Participants
Researchers must ensure that the participants do not face distress during the
study. The participants must be protected from potential physical and mental
harm.
The researcher must take special care of vulnerable groups like the elderly,
children, and the differently-abled.
Deception
This is the process wherein the participants are misled or given false
information by the researcher.
The researchers should ensure that in case they cannot reveal the true
objective of the experiment and deception is necessary to obtain accurate
results, they should not hide its true nature from the participants and give
them the reasons for deception post the conduction of the study.
 Cont…
Confidentiality
Once the researchers gain the data from participants, it should only be
used for research purposes.
Researchers should only force participants to reveal their names if they
feel like doing so and ensure the participants that their information and
responses will not be revealed to any third party.
Withdrawal
The researchers must ensure the participants and explicitly let them
know they have the right to withdraw from the study if they feel
uncomfortable or do not feel like being a part of it.
Participants can withdraw from the study even after submitting their
data.
 Principles of Research Ethics

Some of the principles that are crucial to conducting ethical research are
Honesty − Honesty ensures that the researchers truthfully share crucial
details of the study with respondents, colleagues, and authorities.
Objectivity − This principle helps avoid any biases influencing the
study.
Integrity − Integrity helps to maintain consistency of actions
throughout the conduction of the study.
Carefulness − Carefulness helps avoid any errors committed during the
study and rectify the errors made.
Openness − This principle ensures that the researcher is open to
criticism and new ideas that may help improve the study.
 Cont…
Transparency − This principle helps ensure that all necessary information is
accurately disclosed to evaluate the research adequately.
Accountability − Accountability ensures that the researcher holds responsibility
regarding all concerns of the study.
Originality − This principle helps ensure that the study is free from plagiarism
and that proper credits are given to the sources used in the study.
Confidentiality − This principle helps to ensure that all sensitive information is
safeguarded and the participants' responses stay only with the researcher.
Protecting of rights − This principle helps protect the rights of humans and
ensures that no animal is harmed during the conduction of the study.
Legal Consideration − This principle helps researchers ensure that all legalities
are followed during the study.