Test 1: Ethics Flashcards
What is the definition of ethics?
The study of moral, values, and rules, the study of what is considered right or wrong
What are research ethics?
The moral rules and professional codes of conduct that apply to all steps of a research
What are the 4 reasons why we use ethics?
- Researchers find themselves in a position of authority regarding their “test subjects”
- The integrity of the research and the validity of its conclusion rely on ethical principles?
- It is the responsibility of the researcher to protect humans from harm
- Adherences to ethical principles may eliminate personal opinions and bias
What is meant by voluntary participation?
Participants should be allowed to accept or reject being part of a study, at any time
What is meant by informed consent?
Participants must be informed of all relevant aspects of the study before accepting to participate
What is meant by anonymity?
A respondent is promised anonymity if researchers can’t match up data with the same respondent (can’t link the data to this person)
What is meant by confidentiality?
A respondent is promised confidentiality if their data can be linked to them, but not made public
What are some ethical concerns for all types of research?
- Why/how is the research being carried out?
- What will be the impact of my study?
- Am I abusing my authority?
- How vulnerable are my participants?
- Am I studying risky, illegal, or unethical behaviours?
- Can respondents suffer from the study?
- Have I plagiarized the work of others?
- Has my behaviour affected the results?
- Should I indemnify participants?
What are the ethical considerations for social surveys?
- Is the participation voluntary?
- Am I collecting private information (any information which relates to a natural person and allows that person to be identified)?
- Where is the data being collected?
- Can I maintain privacy/anonymity for participants?
- Are their questions that concern deviance?
- Can some questions create stress or discomfort?
What are the ethical considerations for experimental research?
- Is it necessary to deceive participants to maintain results?
- Have participants been properly debriefed before/after the study?
- Can any harm befall participants during or after the study?
- Could participants require counselling after the study?
What are the ethical considerations for field research?
- How should I approach dangerous or illegal behaviours?
- Can this be considered an invasion of privacy?
- Is it necessary to deceive participants to maintain results?
- Is it ethical to covertly study people without their consent?
- Is it my obligation to act to prevent harm to participants?
- Has my proximity to participants skewed my results?
What are the ethical considerations for indirect methods?
- Who is the true “owner” of artefacts and past societies?
- How has the data I am analyzing been collected?
- Am I using borrowed sources adequately?
- Have I discarded information that did not suit my hypothesis?
