Research Methods-Ethical Issues Flashcards
Scientific sociology:
There are some studies in sociology that have caused a great deal of concern because of the way participants were treated.
Ethical issues:
The dilemmas created by the conflict between the needs of researchers and the rights of participants. Researchers in the UK take care to adhere to the guidelines of the British Sociological Association (BSA).
Informed consent:
Participants must be told what they will be doing and why they are doing it so they can provide ‘informed’ consent.
Limitations of informed consent:
If a participant is given information concerning the nature of a study this may invalidate the purpose of the study. Even if researchers have sought and obtained informed consent, that does not guarantee that participants really do understand what they have let themselves in for. The problem with presumptive consent is that what people expect that they will be different from actually experiencing it.
Deception:
Participants should not be deceived unless absolutely necessary. If deception is required, great care and careful consideration must be given to the project.
Limitations of deception:
Cost benefit decisions are flawed because they involve subjective judgements, and the costs are not always apparent until after the study.
Debriefing can’t turn the clocks back back - a participant may still feel embarrassed or have lower self-esteem.
Debriefing:
After the experiment is complete, participants must be ‘debriefed’ and informed of the motivations for the experiment. They must be given the chance to ask any questions they might have.
Right to Withdraw:
Participants should be free to leave the experiment at any time.
Limitations of the right to withdraw:
Participants may feel they shouldn’t withdraw because it would spoil the experiment. In many studies participants ads paid or rewarded in some way (e.g university students may be given so credits), so they may not feel able to withdraw.
Confidentiality:
Any information and data provided ny the participant must be confidential (private).
Limitations of confidentiality:
It is sometimes possible to work out who the participants were on the basis of the information that has been provided, e.g, the geographical location of a school. In practice, therefore, confidentiality may not be possible.
Protection:
The safety and well-being of the participant must be protected at all times.
Limitations of protection:
Researchers are not always able to accurately predict the risks of taking part in a study.
Privacy:
Do not observe anyone without their informed consent unless it’s in a public place. Participants may be asked to give their retrospective consent or withhold their data.
Limitations:
There is no universal agreement about what constitutes a public place. Not everyone may feel this is acceptable, for example lovers on a park bench.
Presumptive consent:
An alternative to gaining informed consent from participants is to gain informed participants from others (presumptive consent). This can be done, e.g, by asking a group of people whether they feel a planned study is acceptable. We the presume that the participants themselves would have felt the same, if they had been given the opportunity to say so.
How important are these Ethical Issues?
If researchers do not adhere to these principles their licenses may be revoked, or they may be expelled from the BSA, meaning they can no longer carry out legitimate research, and their jobs and reputation will be at stake.
KEY TERMS:
ETHICS COMMITTEE - (aka institutional review board, IRB) a group of people within a research institution that must approve a study before it begins.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES - concrete, quasi-legal documents that help to guide conduct within sociology by establishing principles for standard practise and competence.
