Introduction
Ethics can be defined as the set of principles or rules and norms of conduct for
correct behavior
Ethics also involves an individual’s moral behavior and the values and principles that
guide an individual’s behavior.
Ethical norms are broader than legal laws of society and can be used to evaluate and
interpret the laws that are set by our society
Ethics in research refers to the application of moral rules or codes of conduct during
planning, conducting and reporting of research
Three objectives of research ethics:
1. Protect individuals participating in research process
2. Guarantee research process conducted to serve interest of participants
3. Ensure ethical soundness of research process
Why ethical research is important
Ethical research results in work that is acceptable and that can be used by others for
future studies
Lack of ethical behavior can cause harm to individuals involved in the research
process
Several reasons why ethical research in important
1. Ethical norms and standards encourage and promote the aims of the research
being conducted
2. Ethical research promotes values such as trust, accountability, respect and
fairness in conducting research and working with other researchers and
participants
3. Ethical research ensures that researchers can be held responsible for their
behavior and are accountable to the public
4. Ethical conduct of the researcher can determine whether they will receive
funding for research project. Also helps build public support
5. Conducting ethical research promotes morals and values such as social
responsibility, human rights, animal welfare and compliance with health and
safety regulations
Codes and policies for research ethics
Many organizations have set codes or policy regarding ethical behavior when
conducting research
Purpose of these codes of ethics is to establish a set of principles and procedures to
guide the researcher in achieving the goals of the research project
Some general aspects that an ethics code or policy would address:
1. Integrity
- Refers to soundness of researcher’s moral behavior and implies the
researcher keeps their promises, is sincere and strives for consistency
2. Honesty
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Created by: Sabrina Dias
, - Research must be truthful, upright and fair during the research process and
when reporting the data and the results
- Researcher must conduct the research mindful or errors and negligence and
must keep all records
- Researchers must refrain from adapting the analysis process to make results
fit their views
3. Human protection
- Using individual participants for research it is important that they are not
harmed in anyway
- Must be treated with dignity and respect and special attention must be given
to vulnerable individuals
4. Animal care
- Any research which involves animals should be done in a careful respectful
manner
5. Legality
- Researchers must at all times obey relevant laws
6. Non-discrimination
- Researcher must be sure not to discriminate in any way or form against any
participants or individual involved
- Researcher must not refuse a participant based on race or gender
7. Social responsibility
- Researchers should promote social wellness through the research
- Researchers could use local graduates to help conduct research
8. Confidentiality
- Important records or documents should be kept confidential
- Participant’s confidentiality should also be respected
Principles of research ethics
Doing research involving individual participants, it is important to take into
consideration the well-being of the individuals involved
Three core ethical principles which guide research process:
1. Respect
- Important to be considerate of those participating in the research
- Individuals participating should provide their full consent
- Also requires that they should understand that they will be part of the
research process and they should know what is required of them
- An important aspect of respect is the participants rights to confidentiality
2. Welfare
- Refers to the health, happiness and general well-being of an individual and
includes their physical, social and economic conditions
- Researchers must protect the welfare of those participating by minimizing
potential risks
3. Justice
- Refers to quality of being fair and equitable in the way the researcher treats
all individuals participating
- No participate must be subjected to extra burden
Ethical behavior of researcher
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Created by: Sabrina Dias
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