Ethics: Doing the Right Thing

Ethics: Doing the Right Thing

Chapter 3

The Ethical Imperative

Protecting research participants and

upholding boarder human rights.

Gaining knowledge and finding a clear

answer to a research question.

Balancing two priorities when doing research

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.


• 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



• Unethical but LegalTypology Of Legal And Ethical Actions In Research

LEGAL ETHICALYes No

Yes Moral and Legal Legal but Immoral

No Illegal but Moral Immoral and Illegal

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


• 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.


• Limits to Using Deception (dishonestly/trickery/fraud etc.) 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 compulsion.


• 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.


Confidentiality AnonymityYES NO

YES Gather data so it is impossible for anyone to link it to any name and

release findings in aggregate form.

Privately link details about a specific participant to a name, but only publicly

release findings in aggregate form

NO Release details about a specific participant

to the public, but withhold the name

and details that might allow someone to trace back to the

person.

UnethicalReveal publicly details

about a person with his/her name


• 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.

Ethics and the Sponsors of Research

• Arriving at Particular Findings– Limits on 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.

Political Influences on Research

• Political concerns can influence and interfere with the research process.

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 beliefs/assumptions.– 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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Ethics: Doing the Right Thing