9 research ethics Flashcards
What is research ethics and what do ethical principles dictate?
Research ethics concerns the responsibility of researchers to be honest and respectful to all individuals who are affected by their research studies or their reports of the studies results
governed by a set of ethical guidelines that assist them to make proper decisions and choose a proper action
APA maintains a set of ethical principles for research
ethical priniciples dictate:
- what measurement techniques may be used for certain individuals and certain behaviours
- how researchers select individuals to participate in studies
- which research strategies may be used with certain populations and behaviours
- which research designs may be used
- how data are analyzed
- how results are reported
What are the basic categories of ethical responsibility?
- responsibility to ensure welfare and dignity of individuals
- responsibility to ensure that public reports of their research are accurate and honest
scientist is in a position of control
How did WWII contribute to research ethics?
WWII - researchers had their own ethical standards
guided by their subjective moral compasses
sadistic medical experiments
Nuremberg Code - set of 10 guidelines for the ethical treatment of human participants
What did the Nuremberg Code posit as a result of WWII research practices?
- voluntary consent
legal capacity to give consent
no element of force, deceit, duress, over-reaching, coercion - fruitful results for the good of society
- anticipated result needs to justify the experiment
- avoid suffering
- no reason to believe death or injury will occur
- risk should be minimal
- proper preparations
- scientific expertise and qualification
- subject has the right to end the experiment
- be prepared to terminate the experiment at any stage
What consequences did the migram (1963) obedience study have?
1974 - National Research Act
1979 - Belmont Report
three basic principles:
the principle of respect for persons (autonomy)
the principle of beneficence (no harm, risk minimisation)
principle of justice (nonexplorative) procedures for selection, treatment
What are APA guidelines of research ethics?
- No harm
- Privacy and Confidentiality
- Institutional Approval
- Competence
- Record Keeping
- Informed Consent to research
Information
Understanding
Voluntary Participation - Dispensing with informed consent
only where research would not reasonably be assumed to create distress or harm - Offering inducements for research participation
- Deception in research
deceptive techniques need to be justified - Debriefing
participants can obtain appropriate information about the nature, results, and conclusions
post-experimental explanation of the purpose of a study
What is deception?
Deception = when researcher purposefully withholds information or misleads participants with regard to information about a study
passive deception = omission, intentionally not telling
active deception = presenting misinformation
most common: misleasing the specific purpose of the study
What influences the debriefings effectiveness?
- participants suspicions
is debriefing a continuation of deception? - the nature if the deception
debriefing is less effective with active deception - the sincerity of the experimenter
- the time interval between the end of the study and the delivery of the debriefing
(the sooner the better)
What is clinical equipoise?
clinicians have an ethical responsibility to provide the best possible treatment
often: comparison of treatments
this is allowed when: honest uncertainty about best treatment choice, honest professional disagreement between experts
What are components of informed consent forms?
- overview
- description of procedures
- risks and inconveniences
- benefits
- costs and economic considerations
- confidentiality
- alternative treatments
- voluntary participation
- questions and further information
- signature lines
What is confidentiality and anonymity?
Confidentiality = practice of keeping strictly secret and private the information or measurement obtained from an individual during a research study
Anonymity = practice of ensuring that an individuals name is not directly associated with the information or measurements obtained from that individual
What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
scientists and nonscientists
committee that examines all proposed research with respect to its treatment of human participants
IRB approval must be obtained before any research is conducted with human participants
- minimisation of risk to participants
- reasonable risk in relation to benefits
- equitable selection
- informed consent
- documentation of informed consent
- data monitoring
- privacy and confidentiality
What are ethical principles in non-human participant research?
a. psychologist trained in research methods and experienced in care of laboratory animals closely supervise all procedures involving animals and are responsible for ensuring appropriate consideration of their comfort, health and humane treatment
b. all individuals have received instruction in research methods, care, maintenance and handling of the species used
c. minimize discomfort, illness, pain
d. surgical procedures under appropriate anesthesia, …
e. pain etc only when no alternative is available
f. termination of life should be under minimal harm
What is important for scientific integrity?
- transparent reporting of research
- reasonable steps if error detected
- no plagiarism
- credit where credit is due
What is fraud, what is error?
error - honest mistake in the research process
fraud - explicit effort to falsify or misinterpret data
tenure, promotions, …
success
safeguards:
replications
peer review
