Ethics
BHV 390: Research Methods
Kimberly Porter Martin, Ph.D.
Why Be Ethical?
• Most unethical behavior results from a lack
of awareness, or pressures to take
shortcuts in building a career, gaining
prestige or holding a job.
• Ethical social research takes longer to
complete, costs more money, is more
complicated, is more difficult to do, and is
required by professional associations.
Kinds of Unethical Behavior
• Scientific misconduct – occurs when a
researcher falsifies or distorts the data or
methods of data collection
• Research fraud – occurs when a researcher
fakes or invents data or falsely reports how
research was conducted.
• Plagiarism – is fraud that occurs when a
researcher steals the ideas or writings of
another or uses them without permission.
• Misuse of Power – taking advantage of
participants who trust the researcher because of
credentials, expertise, training and/or respect for
the role of science.
Human Subjects Issues
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Presence of risk for harm to participants
Amount of risk for participants
Anonymity and/or confidentially
Informed Consent
Special populations
Sponsor interference
Harm to Participants
The first responsibility of a researcher is to do no harm to
participants. Social research can harm a subject or
participant in t least four ways.
• Physical harm – basic safety and protection from injury,
special provisions for high-risk individuals.
• Psychological harm – care not to subject people to
stressful, embarrassing, anxiety-producing or unpleasant
situations.
• Legal Harm – protecting people from increased risk for
arrest; dealing with the discovery of illegal behavior.
• Deception – social researchers follow the ethical principle of
voluntary consent: never force anyone to participate in
research. Any researcher anticipating the need to use
deception would need to receive guidance from an IRB, or
Institutional Review Board.
Participant Privacy Rights
• Privacy – the right of the individual to decide
whether to share personal information, including
identity, with others.
• Anonymity – the right to remain unknown and
nameless.
• Confidentiality – the right to keep information
that is shared with others from being distributed.
Informed Consent
• It is a basic ethical principle of research
never to force anyone to participate in
research. Participation it must be
completely voluntary.
• It is not enough to get permission.
Researchers must acquire a written
agreement that reveals any risks and tells
how confidentiality will be protected.
Components of an Informed
Consent Statement
• Identification of the researcher and/or institution
responsible for the research.
• A brief description of the purpose and
procedures.
• A statement of any possible risks or discomfort.
• A guarantee of anonymity and/or the
confidentiality of records.
• A statement that participation is completely
voluntary and can be terminated at any time
without penalty.
• A description of any alternative procedures.
• A statement of any benefits or compensation
available and the number of subjects involved.
• An offer to provide a summary of the findings.
Special Populations
• Children
• Those who are developmentally delayed
• Those who suffer from mental illness
May not be fully capable of making an
informed decision and hence it may be
necessary to obtain permission from a legal
guardian.
Special Populations
• Prison inmates
• Employees
• Military personnel
Must not be coerced into participating in
research by those who have power over
them.
Sponsor Interference
• Asking the “wrong” research question.
• Requesting a review after a decision has already
by made.
• Demanding an inappropriate design or data
collection technique.
• Interfering with the design or procedures to
insure the research produces desired results.
• Suppressing/deleting positive results in order to
reduce a program
• Suppressing/deleting negative results in order to
continue a program.
Study Guide
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Scientific fraud
Scientific misconduct
Plagiarism
Misuse of power/authority
Physical harm
Psychological harm
Legal harm
Deception
Privacy
Anonymity
Confidentiality
Informed consent
Voluntary participation
Special populations
Children
Mentally disabled
Mentally ill
Prison inmates
Military personnel
Employees
Sponsor interference