Ethics 101: Elements of Ethics in Research Design
If the question of ethics is about what sort of actions a researcher ought to perform and avoid, then its first step, according to Bertrand Russell (1910) is to be clear what we mean by good (ie. beneficial) and bad (ie. harmful) to human subjects as research participants. Care must be taken to ensure that your conduct as the researcher and the design of your research study is aimed at generating new knowledge that will produce benefits for participants themselves, for other individuals or for the wider society. However, because research itself, which pursues novel understanding and innovative practices, involves uncertainty. Consequently, harms and benefits are not necessarily or always known before the research is conducted. Having said you have to be aware of these and your participants must understand that this may be the case. It is still your duty as the researcher to avoid, prevent or minimise harm to participants and others.
To ensure that the ethical principles are adhered to it is essential that a participant-centred approach to research is adopted. Collaboration between participants and researchers is important and helps to ensure that the interests of the participants are central to the research process. It is important that participants are not treated as research objects, and their rights as research subjects are not compromised. Indeed, full disclosure of the research process does not guarantee that individual participants within the same study will respond in the same manner to the information provided in the free and informed consent process; this can be important and these individual perspectives must be considered. As the researcher, you must recognise that those who agree to participate in research, teachers, for example, may be persuaded to participate by factors unrelated to the research itself.
ETHICAL ISSUES WITHIN THE RESEARCH PROCESS ITSELF
When considering research involving human participants, issues to be taken into account will include consideration of whether the research has been done before and whether there are consistent results in this area. This will be based on examination of the literature review and the justification of the need for the study.
Research methods: Within the design of any study it is imperative that researchers ensure that potential harm to participants is reduced to the minimum possible level. Therefore, the methods of data collection must be clearly described. A number of ethical problems can arise in determining data collection techniques, for example in studies that are reliant on covert methods of data collection — the use of participant observation or social media methods. Which methods to use should be taken into account in participant-centred approach.
Your turn: How have you addressed consent and confidentiality in your research methods?
Sample/Sampling: The first ethics question you face in sampling is who you include, or exclude. This decision may have a significant impact on the meaning or interpretation that can be attributed to the findings or what can be found in the research study, particularly in considering whose voices are heard. Therefore, you must be clear as to why the people you want to study need to be involved. You should also include some reflection about who is left out of your study.
Your turn: How have you addressed the ethics of inclusion in your research design?
Informed Consent: Consent is central in conducting your research ethically. It is a process and not just a matter of yes or no, especially when what is deemed harmful may be different for each participant.
Principle Two states that:
‘Research subjects must be informed fully about the purpose, methods and intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the research entails and what risks, if any, are involved.’
Principle Four states:
‘Research participants must participate in a voluntary way, free from any coercion.’
(adapted from http://ethicsguidebook.ac.uk/Consent-72)
Informed consent is not just given at the point of data collection using a particular or set of research methods. It also involves a discussion about how the collected data will be analysed, used or stored. This information must be clearly stated in the participation information sheet. You should explain everything that you ask people to consent to. If the research plans are uncertain at first, you should say so. If the plans change, for example, if new topics and questions are added, the participants should be informed and their consent sought or re-affirmed.
Are you going to compensate your research respondents for their time? The question of compensating or paying research participants raises ethics questions. There is no clear guidance or consensus on this important topic. As the researcher, do consider the harms and benefits of compensating participants and how this may influence the method used and the data collected?
Your turn: How have you addressed consent, including compensation, in your research design?
Anonymity/Confidentiality: Each research participant is entitled to confidentiality both on ethical grounds and in terms of the protection of their personal and sensitive data under the Data Protection Act (1998). Therefore, throughout the research process, a participant has the freedom to choose the time, extent and circumstances under which they will share or withhold information or change their mind about taking part in the research and withdraw at any time in the research process.
