Ethical issues Flashcards
1
Q
Informed consent
A
- research participants should be offered the right to refuse to be involved
- the researcher should also tell them about all the relevant aspects of the research so that they can make a fully informed decision
- consent should be obtained before research begins and, if the study if lengthy, again at intervals throughout the process
2
Q
Confidentiality and privacy
A
- researchers should keep the identity of research participants secret in order to prevent possible negative effects on them
- researchers should also respect their privacy
- personal information concerning research participants should be kept confidential
3
Q
Harm to research participants
A
- researchers need to be aware of the possible effects of their work on those they study
- these could include police intervention, harm to employment opportunities, social exclusion and psychological damage
- wherever possible, researchers should anticipate and prevent such harm
4
Q
Vulnerable groups
A
- special care should be taken where research participants are particularly vulnerable because of their age, disability, or physical or mental health
- for example, when studying children in schools, researchers should have regard for issues of child protection
- they should obtain consent of both the child and the parent, and they should provide information in language that the child can understand
5
Q
Covert research
A
- covert research is when the researcher’s identity and research purpose are hidden from the people being studied
- this can create serious ethical problems, such as deceiving or lying to people in order to win their trust or obtain information
- clearly, it is impossible to gain informed consent while at the same time keeping the research or its purpose secret
- however, some sociologists argue that the use of covert methods may be justified in certain circumstances
- these ma include gaining access to secretive, dangerous or powerful groups
6
Q
- special care should be taken where research participants are particularly vulnerable because of their age, disability, or physical or mental health
- for example, when studying children in schools, researchers should have regard for issues of child protection
- they should obtain consent of both the child and the parent, and they should provide information in language that the child can understand
A
Vulnerable groups
7
Q
- researchers need to be aware of the possible effects of their work on those they study
- these could include police intervention, harm to employment opportunities, social exclusion and psychological damage
- wherever possible, researchers should anticipate and prevent such harm
A
Harm to research participants
8
Q
- researchers should keep the identity of research participants secret in order to prevent possible negative effects on them
- researchers should also respect their privacy
- personal information concerning research participants should be kept confidential
A
Confidentiality and privacy
9
Q
- research participants should be offered the right to refuse to be involved
- the researcher should also tell them about all the relevant aspects of the research so that they can make a fully informed decision
- consent should be obtained before research begins and, if the study if lengthy, again at intervals throughout the process
A
Informed consent
10
Q
- covert research is when the researcher’s identity and research purpose are hidden from the people being studied
- this can create serious ethical problems, such as deceiving or lying to people in order to win their trust or obtain information
- clearly, it is impossible to gain informed consent while at the same time keeping the research or its purpose secret
- however, some sociologists argue that the use of covert methods may be justified in certain circumstances
- these ma include gaining access to secretive, dangerous or powerful groups
A
Covert research
