What Are Research Ethics

WHAT ARE RESEARCH ETHICS?
Ethics are the principles and guidelines that help us uphold the things we value.
Three Basic Approaches
1. Deontological Approach
Takes the position that ethical issues must be judged on the basis of some universal code.
Certain actions are inherently unethical and should never be performed regardless of the
circumstances.
2. Ethical Skepticism
It claims that ethical rules are relative to one’s culture and time. According to this
approach, an ethical decision must be a matter of the individual’s conscience.
3. Utilitarianism
An ethical approach that says judgments of the ethics of a study depend on the
consequences the study has for the research participants and the larger benefit that might
arise from the study results. If the benefits are sufficiently large relative to the costs, then
the study is determined to be ethically acceptable.
ETHICAL CONCERNS
Research Ethics
a guiding set of principles developed to assist researchers in conducting ethical studies.
Three Areas
(1) The relationship between society and science.
(2) Professional issues.
(3) The treatment of research participants.
(1) Relationship Between Society and Science
The extent to which societal concerns and cultural values should direct the course of
research. Society considers such problems much more important, and it encourages
research in areas that are considered important.
Federal Government Funding Agency
One of the ways in which these priorities are communicated to researchers is through
the numerous funding agencies. The federal government at least partially dictates the
type of research that is conducted. Every year these funding agencies announce
“Requests for Proposals” in specific areas.
(2) Professional Issues
The category of professional issues includes the expanding problem of research
misconduct.
Research misconduct
Defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism (FFP) in proposing, performing, or
reviewing research, or in reporting research results. The most serious professional
crime any researcher can commit is to cheat or present fraudulent results to the
research community.
Personal factors
Focus on the psychological makeup of the individual.
Nonpersonal factors
Include such things as the pressure to publish and the competition for research
funding.
Strategies for Preventing Scientific Misconduct
• Have the researcher make it clear that he or she has checked and verified data that
are collected and then make sure that some of the data are checked.
• Ask some of the research participants who should have been seen by each data
collector if you can recontact them. Then recontact them to ensure that they
participated in the study.
• Make sure there are no deviations from the approved study design.
• Watch for data collectors who complete data collection in record time. Make sure
you review the work of every person who collects the study data.
• Teach ethical standards of conducting research in classes. Include reviews of cases
of misconduct and discuss ethical issues and the ramifications of misconduct for the
researcher, the field, and public trust.
• Provide guidelines for handling cases of suspected misconduct.
Treatment of Research Participants
Conduct of research with humans has the potential for creating physical and
psychological harm. The research procedures should have no potential for violating
the participants’ rights. Educational researchers frequently must be more rather than
less attuned to the ethical issues that surround their research.
The Tuskegee Experiment
The study aimed to find out if the natural course of syphilis in black males differed
considerably from that in whites and to see if cardiovascular damage was more
common from syphilis than neurological impairment. The participants were not
informed that they had syphilis or that sexual activity may spread the illness.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH WITH HUMANS
Five broad principles

1. Professional Competence. Act only in the areas in which you are competent and
make sure you are up to date in your training.
2. Integrity. In all that you do, always be honest, trustworthy, and never jeopardize
the welfare of others; this includes the ancient Greek idea of nonmaleficence or
doing no harm to others.
3. Professional, Scientific, and Scholarly Responsibility. You must adhere to the
AERA’s 22 ethical standards.
4. Respect for People’s Rights, Dignity, and Diversity. Respect cultural and individual
differences and work to eliminate bias and discrimination.
5. Social Responsibility. This includes beneficence or striving to act for the benefit of
others in our society and world.
Informed Consent
• Agreeing to participate in a study after being informed of its purpose, procedures,
risks, benefits, alternative procedures, and limits of confidentiality.
• Federal regulations as well as AERA guidelines state that research participants
must give informed consent before they can participate in a study.
Informed Consent and Minors as Participants
• Consent has to be obtained from minor’s legal guardian after they have been
informed of all features of the study that might affect their willingness to allow the
child to participate.
• Assent must be obtained from the minor. This means that the minor has to agree
to participate in the research after being informed.
Active consent, a process whereby consent is provided by signing a consent form. One
interpretation of the failure to return the consent forms is that the parents are denying
consent.
Passive consent, a process whereby consent is given by not returning the consent form.
legal guardians are told to return the consent form only if they do not want their child to
participate in the research.
Additional Consent
These studies require the approval and cooperation of a variety of individuals. Often a
study cannot be legally conducted without approval from a particular office or
administrator in the system.
The Two Goals
Dehoaxing, informing study participants about any deception that was used and the
reasons for its use.
Desensitizing, helping study participants deal with and eliminate any stress or other
undesirable feelings that the study might have created.
Freedom to Withdraw
• Participants have the right to withdraw from a study at any time, unless otherwise
constrained by their official capacity or roles.
• Assure the research participants that refusing to participate or withdrawing from
the study will have no adverse effect on them.
CONFIDENTIALITY, ANONYMITY, AND THE CONCEPT OF PRIVACY
Privacy, having control of others’ access to information about a person.
Anonymity, keeping the identity of the participant from everyone, including the
researcher.
Confidentiality, not revealing the identity of the participant to anyone other than the
researcher and his or her staff. The participant’s identity is not revealed to anyone other
than the researcher.
Institutional Review Board
All universities had to establish an IRB and file an assurance policy with the Office for
Protection from Research Risks. As an educational researcher must submit a proposal to
the IRB to determine whether your study is exempt from ethical oversight.
ETHICAL ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC RESEARCH
Informed Consent and Internet Research

• Informed consent has three components: providing the information to participants,
ensuring that they comprehend it, and obtaining voluntary consent to participate.
• Nosek and Banaji (2002) have suggested that consent forms be accompanied by
FAQs (frequently asked questions) that anticipate potential questions and concerns
and address them.
Privacy and Internet Research
• data transmitted over the Internet can be encrypted and, if no identifying
information is collected, the only possible connection to a participant is the Internet
Protocol (IP) address.
• IP addresses identify machines and not individuals, the only way an IP address
could be connected to a participant is if the participant is the sole user of the
machine or computer.
Plagiarism
• It occurs when you use someone’s idea or copy someone else’s words but do not
give that person credit. When you do not give credit, you are passing someone
else’s work off as yours. This is a type of scholarly thievery and is totally unethical.
Short quotation, quotation of 4 or more words, but fewer than 40, around which quotation
marks are used
Example: Nosek and Banaji (2002) have stated, “The potential of the information
highway to advance understanding of psychological science is immense” (p. 161).
Block quotation, quotation of 40 or more words using indented format (including citation
and page number).
Example:
Nosek and Banaji (2002) have stated:
The potential of the information highway to advance understanding of psychological
science is immense, and it is likely that the Internet will decisively shape the nature of
psychological research. Yet as any researcher who has attempted to use the Internet to
obtain data will have discovered, a host of methodological issues require consideration
because of differences between standard laboratory research and Internet-based
research concerning research methodology. (pp. 161–162)

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WHAT ARE RESEARCH ETHICS?

Five broad principles

Informed Consent and Internet Research

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