Lecture Communication research: Asking questions, finding answers (4e) Chapter 3: Research ethics

Chapter 3

RESEARCH ETHICS
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

All researchers, even students, have a
responsibility to conduct ethical research



Participants in research studies should know
and understand their rights and responsibilities



Ethical considerations are part of the design of
the research project

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ETHICAL QUESTIONS IN PLANNING RESEARCH


Researcher has two broad ethical
responsibilities
1.

Scientific responsibility for following established
guidelines and conducting research that will yield
knowledge worth knowing

2.

The researcher’s relationship to participants as it
affects collection, interpretation, and reporting of
data
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SPECIFICALLY -

How will the consent of participants be gained?



How will confidentiality/anonymity be handled?



Are the participants appropriate for the study?



Are there potential physical or psychological harms



How will the researcher’s role affect the study?



Is the research design valid, credible?



Is researcher capable of conducting the study?
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THE BELMONT REPORT


Three ethical principles






Beneficence
Respect for persons
Justice

Must design research to
uphold these principles to
the fullest degree possible

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BENEFICENCE


The well-being of participants is protected



Participants protected from harm



Researcher must maximize possible benefits



Benefits to participants must outweigh risks
Benefits
Risks

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RESPECT FOR PERSONS


Treat individuals as capable of making
decisions
 Refrain

from making choices for participants

 Participants



must feel free to volunteer; no coercion

Protecting those not capable of making their
own decisions

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JUSTICE


Issues of fairness



All participants treated equally



Selection of participants
 Am

I systematically selecting one group of participants
because they are

 Easily
 In

available?

a position making it difficult to say no?

 In

a position in which they can be manipulated into
participating?
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INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD


University Institutional Review Board


Also called IRB or Human Subjects Review



Considers soundness and reasonableness of research
proposals



Determines if rights and welfare of research
participants are adequately protected in research
design
Submit proposal before any data are collected
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reproduction or distribution without
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IRB PROPOSALS
•

Research questions or
hypotheses

•

Research methods

•

How benefits are
maximized, risks
minimized

•

Brief review of literature

ã

Description of how
participants are
recruited/selected

ã

Anonymity &
confidentiality

Informed consent

ã

Investigators
background

ã

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INFORMED CONSENT


Information must be given to participants any
time data are collected from them



Creates obligations and responsibilities for the
researcher



Participant consent must be given voluntarily



Written in a manner participants can
understand – clear and accurate
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McGraw-Hill Education.


ELEMENTS OF INFORMED CONSENT
Identification of researcher
and organization

•

Any physical or psychological
harms



Purpose of study

•

If deception is used



Features of research
process

•

To whom follow-up questions
can be directed



Expected duration

•

Participation is voluntary



Possible risks and benefits

•



How confidentiality and
anonymity assured

Can discontinue or refuse to
participate without penalty

•

Indication that participant
should have copy of form



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FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH


Traditionally applied to all quantitative projects



Describes the exact procedures



Indicates if participants will be exposed to any
materials that may be threatening or distasteful



May require participant to sign and return a
copy of the form

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Education. All rights reserved. No
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McGraw-Hill Education.


FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH


IRB will decide if informed consent is needed

based on
 Is

interaction occurring naturally in a public setting?

 Will

researcher’s interaction with participants in
that setting create negative consequences for any
of the participants?



Always check with your IRB to see if consent is
required
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reproduction or distribution without
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ETHICAL ISSUES IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH


Intentional deception



Use of confederates



Physical and psychological harm



Upholding anonymity and confidentiality



Videotaping and audiotaping participants



Debriefing participants
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Education. All rights reserved. No
reproduction or distribution without
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ETHICAL ISSUES IN REPORTING RESEARCH


Ensuring accuracy
 Researcher

is always responsible for accuracy

regardless of who helps



Avoiding plagiarism by
 Using

direct quotes with proper citations

 Using

summaries or paraphrases

 Acknowledge



ideas or contributions

Protecting identities of participants
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