Research Ethics
Dr Jennie Louise
Discipline of Philosophy
jennie.louise@adelaide.edu.au
Ethical Conduct of Research
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Conducting ethical research
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An essential learning skill promoted in
SACE
Responsibility of teachers and students to
ensure ethical conduct in research projects
What is ethical conduct in research?
What ethical issues arise in research
projects?
The Role of Researcher
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Research is a social practice
The practice of research has defined aims
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To produce knowledge and discover the truth
This benefits society
Researchers have a defined role
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Certain privileges: e.g. regarded as experts,
status, autonomy, access to information
The role therefore has corresponding duties
Ethical Duties in Research
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Researchers have an ethical responsibility
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to conduct research in a way which can achieve
the goals of research
while producing benefits and avoiding harms
Analogy: playing a game - you should try to win,
but you have to play within the rules!
Research which is unethically conducted
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Fails to achieve the aims of the practice
Causes harm which is not outweighed by the
benefits produced
Causes of Unethical Conduct
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Ignorance
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Perverse Incentives
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Fail to identify or take seriously an ethical problem
Not knowing appropriate practices/procedures
Pressure to get results, finish on time, get good
marks
Lack of an ethical culture
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No reflection on ethical implications of research
‘Following the rules’ instead of commitment to
ethical conduct
General Principles of
Research Ethics
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Integrity
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Beneficence and non-maleficence
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Produce benefits, and avoid or minimise harms
Respect for persons
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Commitment to search for truth and knowledge
Treat others as autonomous agents
Justice
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Ensure benefits and burdens of research are fairly
distributed
SACE Guidelines: Integrity
…but also plagiarism, interpretation of results, etc.
SACE Guidelines: Beneficence and NonMaleficence
SACE Guidelines: Respect for Persons
SACE Guidelines: Justice
Integrity
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Necessary to achieve the aims of research, to
produce benefits and avoid harms
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Ensure that other motivations don’t
undermine good research
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Fraudulent or biased results don’t produce
knowledge, can cause harm
For prestige, good marks, etc.
Understand the reasons for the rules and
their importance
Integrity: Specific Ethical
Problems
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Plagiarism, failure to acknowledge sources
Bad/biased methodology or study design
Cherry-picking, fabrication, fraud, bias
Sloppy or careless research practice
Lack of transparency or accountability
Respect for Persons
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Treat others as autonomous agents
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Potential benefits of research do not justify
failure to respect persons
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Failure to respect persons counts as a harm
Sensitivity to others’ beliefs and values
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No treating others as mere means
Even if you think they’re misguided or wrong
Respect others’ free choices
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Even if you don’t agree with them!
Respect for Persons: Informed
Consent
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All participants must give fully informed and
fully voluntary consent
Must understand the nature and purpose of
the research
Must be informed of any risks or harms
No coercion or undue influence (including
indirect pressure to participate)
Free to withdraw at any time, without giving a
reason
Respect for Persons: Vulnerable
Groups
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Vulnerable groups
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Have impaired capacity to give adequate informed
consent
Are unable, or less able, to protect their own
interests
Require special protections and caution
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Extra care given to ensuring understanding
Negotiation and involvement
Special thought to possible harms
Confidentiality, Privacy
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All information about research subjects must
be kept confidential
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Even if you don’t think it matters
Explicit consent of participants must be given
before sharing their information
Attention and care to secure storage of data,
procedures for handling information
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Guard against accidental violation as well as
deliberate violation (e.g. talking to friends)
Beneficence and NonMaleficence
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Produce benefits by research
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Avoid harms from research
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(less relevant here, but producing well-trained
researchers is a benefit)
Physical harms
Psychological or emotional harms
Social/cultural harms
Reflect on the consequences of the project
and its results
Beneficence/Non-Maleficence:
Specific Ethical Issues
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Interview or Survey Design
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Controversial topics
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Could it lead to biased or distorted results?
Could the questions cause distress, discomfort or
emotional harm?
Is the topic one which cannot realistically be
researched in an unbiased, objective way?
Failure to protect confidentiality/privacy
Justice
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Benefits and burdens of research must be
fairly distributed
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Especially important for vulnerable
populations
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Not OK to place a burden on one group in order to
produce a benefit for another
These are often‘over-researched’
Research designed to meet our needs, not theirs
Researchers as well as participants!
Case Study 1
Justin is doing his research project on wind
turbine design and location. His father is a
senior manager in an engineering company
with contracts for wind turbine construction.
Justin’s father asks an engineer on the wind
turbine team to help Justin with his project.
The engineer spends a great deal of time with
Justin, showing him his work, explaining
technical issues and helping him locate
literature.
Case Study 1: Ethical Issues
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Possible indirect coercive influence on
the engineer to help Justin
Will the engineer be appropriately
acknowledged for his assistance?
Importance of avoiding plagiarism or
unattributed content when he writes up
his project
Case Study 2
Molly wants to do her research project on eating
disorders in teenage girls. She is planning to
give a survey to her classmates and her
friends outside school, which asks them (for
example) whether they engage in bingeeating behaviour, self-induced vomiting, as
well as about their body image and selfesteem.
Ethical Issues: Case Study 2
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Potential for harm to participants
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Confidentiality and privacy
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Questionnaire may cause/uncover psychological distress can this be appropriately managed?
Highly sensitive information: how will she ensure this
remains confidential?
(Could her subjects be identified from her project even if not
explicitly named?)
Indirect pressure on friends to participate
Potential for biased or unreliable results
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Personal relationship with subjects may affect interpretation
of data or honest reporting
Not a properly chosen/representative sample