Chapter 3 Study Guide: Ethics in Social Research

Institutional review board

(IRB) A committee of researchers and community members that oversees, monitors, and reviews the impact of research procedures on human participants and applies ethical guidelines by reviewing research procedures at a preliminary stage when first prosed.

What is included in codes of research ethics?

-Follow voluntary consent -Avoid any unnecessary physical and mental suffering: death or injury likely. -Make sure that studies are conducted by only the highest qualified people using the highest levels of skill and care. -Results should be for the good of society and unattainable by any other method.

What are the three main reasons for blocking or steering research?

-People who defend or advance knowledge in ideological, political, or religious beliefs, and fear social research knowledge contradicting their beliefs -Powerful interest want to protect themselves and fear social research is going to expose their actions had the public or part of society. -People who lack respect for ideals of science to pursue truth/knowledge and view scientific research cynically.

What are the basic principles of ethical social research?

-Responsibility rests with the researcher -No exploitation of participants for personal gain. -Some form of informed consent -Honor all guarantees or privacy -If deception is used always debrief. -Use an appropriate research method -Do no conduct secret research.

What should be contained in an informed consent statement?

1. A brief description of the purpose and procedure of the research, including ehe expected duration of the study. 2. A statement of any risks or discomfort associated with participation. 3. A guarantee of anonymity and the confidentiality of records. 4. The identification of the researcher and of where to receive information about participants rights or questions about the study. 5. A statement that participation is completely voluntary and can be terminated at any time without penalty. 6. A statement of alternative procedures that may be used. 7. A statement of any benefits or compensations provided to research participants and the number of participants involved. 8. An offer to provide a summary of findings.

Plagiarism

A type of unethical behavior in which one used the writing or ideas of another without giving proper credit. It is "stealing ideas".

Informed consent

An agreement by participants station they are willing to be in a study after they learn something about what the research procedure will involve.

Principle of voluntary consent

An ethical principle of social research that people should never participate in research unless they first explicitly agree to do so.

What is the difference between anonymity and confidentiality?

Anonymity is people remain anonymous or nameless even to the researchers, but confidentiality can include information with participants names attached, but it is kept secret from the public.

Describe all of the ethical issues involving research participants.

Another way about asking for informed consent.

What ethical issues are associated with special populations?

Having anyone who is incapable of making a decision. Or a professor, employer, and or officer forcing someone to participate for any reason.

Discuss the ethical issues involved in Milgram's obedience study, Humphrey's tearoom trade study, and Zimbardo's prison experiment.

In the Milgrams obedience study people are caused great psychological harm by being asked to shock pupils, in Humphreys study there not entirely taking pictures. The prison experiment was at too great of risk of psychological and psychical harm because participants were given roles.

Confidentiality

Information in with participant names attached, but the researcher holds it in confidence or keeps it secret from the public.

Special populations

People who lack the necessary cognitive competency to give real informed consent or people in a weak position who might comprise their freedom to refuse to participate in a study.

Anonymity

Research participants remain anonymous or nameless.

What did the textbook say about suppressing findings?

Researchers may find during the study things that make the sponsors look bad, so they suppress their findings.

Regarding ethics in social research, compare and contrast the issues surrounding physical harm, psychological harm, and legal harm.

Researchers should never cause physical harm, screening out high risk subjects (heart conditions, mental breakdowns, or history of seizures, etc.) Shouldn't create unnecessary stress. If it's for clear legitimate research purposes than they should take several precautions: consult with others who have done similar studies, screen out high-risk populations, obtain written consent, monitor conditions, debrief people afterwards. Legal harm can be difficult to determine rights and wrongs you don't want participants involved in illegal harm but you also don't want to mess up the purpose of the duty.

What did the textbook say about whistle-blowing?

Whistle blowing occurs because once the researcher has informed the supervisor nothing is able to get done and the researcher turns to an outside source that doesn't have great intentions.

What did the textbook say about value-free and objective research?

value free means free of everyone's values except this of science, and objective means following established rule or procedures without considering how they were created.