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Research Ethics
Ethical Considerations
What is ‘ethics’?
 Webster’s
collegiate dictionary defines
ethics as:
‘the discipline dealing with what is good and
bad and with moral duty and obligation’
 Practical ethics
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Deals with personal uncertainties and
conflicts of opinion
What choice should I take?
Is this action fair?
What is ‘ethics’?
 Theoretical
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If this action is right, what does right really
mean?
 Descriptive
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ethics
ethics
Relate to moral beliefs
What is ‘ethics’?
 Ethics
insist upon the introduction of the
individual human opinions and beliefs –
therefore hard to define
 ‘most
of our moral responses seem to be
more a matter of intuition and feeling than
of reasoning and logical deduction – we
are not always the rational creatures we
would like to be’ (Gross, 1996)
Research Methods and Ethics
 We
need to consider ethical issues
throughout time of research
 To conduct research projects in line with
ethical principles
 To follow ethical guidelines
Questionable practices in social
research
Robson (1995) notes 10 questionable
practices in social research:
1. Involving people without their knowledge
or consent
2. Coercing them to participate
3. Withholding information about the true
nature of the research
4. Otherwise deceiving the participant
Questionable practices in social
research
5. Inducing participants to commit acts
diminishing their self-esteem
6. Violating rights of self-determination (in
studies seeking to promote individual
change)
7. Exposing participant to physical or mental
stress
8. Invading privacy
Questionable practices in social
research
9. Withholding benefits from some
participants (comparison groups)
10. Not treating participants fairly, or with
respect
During data collection:
 Ensure
data collected accurately
 Avoid exercising subjective selectivity in
what is recorded
 Consider confidentiality and anonymity
 Subject to the requirement of legislation,
ie. DPA, information obtained during an
investigation is confidential (unless
otherwise agreed in advance).
Data Collection
‘the ability to explore data or to seek explanations
through qualitatively based methods means that
there will be greater scope for ethical issues to
arise in relation to this approach to research’
(Easterby-Smith et al, 1991)
‘embarrassment and even harm could result from
reporting data that are clearly attributable to a
particular individual’ (Cooper & Schindler, 1988;
Robson, 1993)
Research Ethics
 Ethical
concerns emerge as you plan your
research
 In context of research ‘ethics’ refers to the
appropriateness of your behaviour in
relation to the rights of those who become
the subject of our work, or are affected by
it. Wells (1994) defines ethics in terms of
a code of behaviour appropriate to
academics and the conduct of research.
Research Ethics
 Ethical
issues need to be considered
throughout the time of research
 Remain sensitive to the impact of your
work
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On those whom you approach
Those who provide access and cooperation
Those affected by your results
Code of ethics
 Following
a code of ethics will provide you
with a statement of principles and
procedures for the conduct of your
research
 You may be required to submit your
research proposal to a research ethics
committee
 You may need ethical approval to carry
out your research
Meeting Ethical Requirements
 Students
undertaking research within UK’s
National Health Service have to meet
requirements established by their local
NHS Trust’s ethics committee
 Any kind of research will inevitably lead to
a range of ethical issues
 Ethical Approval from the Ethics
Committee may be required before the
start of the research
Ethical issues that affect research

Privacy of possible and actual participants
 Voluntary nature of participation and the right to
withdraw partially or completely from the process
 Consent and possible deception of participants
 Maintenance of confidentiality of data provided by
individuals or identifiable participants and their
anonymity
 Reactions of participants to the way in which you seek to
collect data
 Effects on participants of the way in which you use,
analyse and report data
 Behaviour and objectivity of the researcher
PRIVACY

Need at all times to respect privacy
Nettiquette
Developed to provide heading for ‘rules’ or
guidelines about how to use the Internet for
research
 Contacting possible participants easier
 Forms of covert observation impinging on rights
of participants
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SUMMARY
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Access and ethics are critical aspects for the conduct of research
Using different types and levels of access need to be identified
Feasibility an important determinant of what you choose to
research and how you undertake the research
Research ethics refer to appropriateness of your behaviour
Potential ethical issues should be recognised and considered
from outset of research
Ethical concerns likely to occur at all stages of research
Ethical concerns associated with ‘power relationship’ between
the researcher and those who you have access to
Use of Internet and email to collect data may generate ethical
concerns
Internet locations for codes of
ethics
 http://www.the-sra.org.uk/index2.htm
 http://www.bps.org.uk/about/rules5.cfm
 http://www.apa.org/ethics/code.html
 http://www.britsoc.org.uk/about/ethic.htm